Bucket List
by BlackHelix
Summary: 147 days ago Regina's life came crashing down around her. Now determined to pick her life back up she makes a Bucket List but when Emma tracks her down and tries to force her back to Storybrooke for Henry Regina refuses until she has completed everything on the list. With Emma begrudgingly tagging along they start at number one: Party At Mardi Gras.
1. 146 Days, 147 Days And Still Counting

**_Okay this is going to be a long story and the list will probably actually only start around chapter 3 or 4 more than likely 4 and from there on each chapter will be one adventure on the Bucket List of Regina's. _**  
**_Hope you guys enjoy this story because I already enjoyed writing this chapter._**

** XXX**

_146 Days. 20 Weeks. 142 for crying out loud! God Regina you really are losing it! Your still talking to yourself! Stop it! Stop it now! God you really are insane! 12:01a.m.! God it's morning! 147 days! 21 Weeks. Stop staring at the bloody clock Regina! Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick- Blood hell it's not music! _Regina sighed finally stopping the internal war and diverting her eyes towards the window and away from the clock she had been staring at for the past three hours while her inside yelled, screamed and kicked her.

She downed the last of the apple cider in the glass and reached forward to to the apple cider canter. Attention still on the dark exterior of the window that was only illuminated by the street lights she picked up the light - _very light _Regina thought to herself and she turned to the apple cider canter. _Empty! _Regina's eyes scanned the coffee table _Rum bottle empty! Vodka empty! Whiskey bottle empty! Apple Cider canters empty! Oh god Regina do something! There's no more cider! _Regina shook her head dispelling the picture of a brain in her head pulling out it's hair and running around in circles. God she had really lost it.

Standing up on wobbly legs Regina made her way over to her cupboards looking for any heavenly bottles. Picking up another canter she tipped it upside down. _Empty. _She grabbed another one. _Empty._ And another. _Empty._ And another. _Empty. _Another. _Empty. _Regina ran through all the bottles she had in her cupboards all coming up empty.

The clock above the fire place ticked over, the big hand landing on the three. _147 days. 21 weeks. 15 minutes. I have no more alcohol left and I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out for. It's over it really is over. God what happened. It was there one minute. Gone the next. Now you see. Now you don't. 147 days. 21 weeks. 17 minutes. I have no more al- _Regina shook her head once again plopped the glass down on the bench and on wobbly legs made her way to the study room.

_Focus on something else Regina don't listen or even think about the fact that it has been 147 days. 21 weeks. 19 minutes and 21 seconds. God damnit! _Regina pushed the study door open and stumbled in. Rounding the table she plopped un-Regina like into the seat, let out a rather loud sigh before flicking on the computer not bothering with lights, her insides were dark and deserted, so why not her outside life as well. _147 days. 21 weeks. 23 minutes. 52 seconds. So close to 24 minutes. Uh! There it goes. 147 days. 21 weeks. 24 minutes. 13 seconds. _Regina typed her password in drowsily, hit enter with a bit more force than needed and waited a few more seconds for her dashboard to light up the room.

Double clicking on the blue 'E' Regina typed random things into the search bar bringing up painstakingly bad song or deafening screamo's that could wake the dead - probably did wake the dead. Regina typed one last random word into the google search bar, double clicked on the link and whilst waiting for it to load, lowered her head to the desk. Arms folded, head lying on enfolded arms she closed her eyes to the howling of wind outside and hazy feeling in her head. Her last thought _147 days. 21 weeks. 4 hours. 22 minutes. 6 seconds._

** XXX**

Regina groaned her head shooting up of the desk at the sqwuak of a large bird outside her window. At the heaviness her head displayed she dropped it back down onto the desk with a loud thud. She was so tired, exhausted, annihilated that she couldn't even mutter and 'ouch'. _147 days. 21 weeks. 17 hours. 14 minutes. 2 seconds. _That's how long it had been since Cora her mother had been defeated. Henry had left her to live with Emma for good. The line at the edge of the city had been diminished and she had been left with nothing. No job. No son. Nothing. _Not even apple cider! _Her inner voice reminded or maybe reprimanded her she didn't know either way she didn't like it's tone.

Glancing up Regina took in the computer screen in front of her. She couldn't even remember typing up 'Pink Elephants' into the search bar. Her attention turned to a small advertisement in the corner of the internet screen. _Oh no! Don't do that Regina! God don't desert me now! _Regina smirked at her inner voice's fear. Something that she had been without for a long while. 142 days. 21 weeks. 17 hours. 19 minutes. 34 seconds. To be exact. Maybe longer but whose counting?

_Regina just go make some more apple cider! I'll even settle for the crap whiskey! Hell even scotch! I'll do scotch just please don't do it! Please I beg you! Down on my knees here Regina! _Pulling out a pad and pen Regina carefully, gently and neatly in her haze filled mind jotted down 1. with a wide smirk on her face as her inner voice sighed defeated. _Just make sure there's cider - apple cider._

**Chapter 2 Up Soon...**


	2. Not This Time

**Here's chapter 2. Chapter 3 should be up today or sometime this week. Chapter 3 will more thank likely be short and I promise Chapter 3 will automatically be followed by Chapter 4 the start of the Bucket List which will hopefully be a long chapter. Also it will get funnier (Hopefully) once the Bucket List actually starts although there will be an underlying story throughout it all.**

**XXX**

Emma carelessly threw her red jacket over the back of the couch before making her way towards the kitchen. "Uh yeah kid, totally understand the square root of what was it?" Emma stopped turning back to face Henry.

Henry gave her a strange look before answering, "We were talking circumfrence and latitude."

"Right, right. Maybe you should wait for Snow to get home."

"But Mom always helped me with my homework." Henry whined.

"Well we could ring her up," Emma suggested whilst pulling down a box of Lucky Charms.

"No that's fine," Henry shook his head.

Emma looked between the open box of Lucky Charms in her hand and the bowls in the dish rack. With a shrug she dug into the open box pulling out a handful of Charms. "You know kid she ain't the Evil Queen anymore." Emma stuffed the handful of Charms in her mouth and gracefully chewed before holding out the box to Henry. Henry shook his head politely with a grimace on his face that Emma guess he had gotten from Regina. _Yet another way he will always be her kid. God Emma how could you be so stupid. He is her kid. In everyway but blood._

"You really think she's trying to change?" Henry asked with a hopeful look. No matter what he said or how he acted he'd always love her even if it was just a tiny part.

"Well I haven't seen her use magic in a while." Emma placed the box of Charms down on the dining table before moving over to the large stack of mail. _Come to think of it I haven't seen her leave the mansion in a while. _Emma picked up bubble wrapped bulky envelope and shook it gently. _You would know you drive past her place at least four or five times each day. No I don't. Yes you do. Don't. Do. Don't. Do. Don't. Don't. Do, God Damnit. _Emma flinched at her internal argument.

"But the temptation is always there," Henry argued back.

Emma stared blankly at the name on the bulky bubble wrapped envelope for a few seconds, "Strange." She whispered to herself before turning to face Henry, "This is for you."

"Whose it from?"

"Your mother," Emma said easily.

"I'll open it later," Henry spoke with a sad tinge to his tone.

"Henry just open the thing. Seems to me there's something inside." Emma pushed more so out of curiosity as to why Regina would send a letter with something inside instead of just showing up on the doorstep to give to Henry. _Perhaps she's worried he wouldn't want to see. God does she know just how much that boy misses her... _Emma briefly paused giving her sometime to think that through _How much you miss her?_

"It's a ring," Henry pulled the small silver and green ring out of the package along with a folder piece of paper. "It's Mom's emerald ring." He stared at it curiosly for a few moments before turning to Emma, "Why would she send me this? Why did she send me this instead of just bringing it to me? Did something happen to her? Is something going to happen to her?"

Emma watched as the boys tone and features took on panic. Quickly she moved over to Henry and knelt down to eye level with him, "Nothings gonna happen. I promised you I'd look after her and unless I'm six feet underground nothings going to happen to her." Emma watched Henry nod slowly panic slowly disappearing from his face. "How bout' you open the letter?"

Placing the ring on the table Henry peeled open the folded paper and ran his eyes over it taking in a few of the words before peering up at Emma with tears in his eyes. "She's leaving. She's gone." He dropped the letter to the ground and sprinted upstairs to his room tears streaming down his face.

Emma stared after him for a few seconds before reaching down to pick up the letter and straightening herself up again. There was no way Regina would leave, not without Henry, hell she'd kidnap the boy before she'd leave just to take him with her. _Although it's not really kidnapping now is it Emma? Legally he does belong to her. _Emma nodded to her inner selfs thoughts. Emma hesistantly eyed the back of the piece of paper seemingly getting thinner with every moment.

Turning it over she read;

_Dear Henry_

_I remember the first day I held you in my arms, it was the happiest day of my life. You wiggled in my arms for a few minutes before settling blinking blankly up at me._

_I remember the first time I ever changed your diaper, although not the most pleasant memory I will admit - it was still a step that I was more than willing to take for you._

_I remember teaching you to ride a bike, playing soccer in the backyard with you, even playing those shoot-em-up video games you like. Remember the day you sprayed me with the hose? I chased you around the backyard with it, in the end we both ended up soaked._

_I will admit that yes I did hide the truth from you but I was scared off losing you, I am the Evil Queen and always will be. I can't change who I am or what I've done but I can try to better myself which is what I intend to do for your sake Henry._

_What is contained in this package is a ring that I have never taken off before but I want you too have. Do with it what you will, throw it out, wear it or put it away for safe keeping or to never see it again._

_It belongs to you because in the end you were, still are and always will be the most precious thing to me Henry - which is why I'm leaving. I believe it to be for the best. You are happy with Miss Swan and even though she can at times be frustrating I will admit that she does care for you and I know that. Goodbye Heny. I do and always will love you._

_Regina Mills_

_P.S._

_Miss Swan remember to feed Henry fruit and vegetables and not so much unhealthy food._

_P.P.S._

_Yes Miss Swan I know you're reading this._

Emma glanced up from the letter and looked around. Yes okay so the house was empty and there was no chance Regina would be inside without having come through the locked door but it didn't mean that the end of the letter hadn't given her spooks. _Even in writing she's still Regina. _Emma smiled at that when the click of the lock and the front door swinging open with a bustling Snow stepping inside, Charming following along behind her. Emma folded the letter up and slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans.

"Hey Emma look what I got for Hen-" Snow watched as Emma slipped past her with a sudden goodbye red jacket in hand. Blinking twice she turned to Charming who looked just as curious.

Emma threw her jacket into the passenger seat, slipped into the yellow bug and shut the door behind her. Quickly starting up the car she pulled away from the curb and made her way in a familiar direction to a familiar house. _It's a mansion. _Her mind corrected her and she found she couldn't disagree with it, Regina's house really was a mansion, it was bigger than any cell blocks she had been in.

The yellow bug screeched to a halt out front of Regina's Mansion. Jumping out of the car without bothering to turn it off or shut the door she sprinted toward the door. Banging loudly she called, "Regina! Regina! Regina open up! I need to talk to you! Regina!"

"Regina's not there anymore."

Emma spun around to face the occupant of the voice. "Archie where's Regina?"

Archie pulled back on the lead pulling Pongo to a stop. "She left." He stated with a tilt of his head which Emma knew as his psychologist investigative look.

"Where Archie?"

"She took off to the nearest town about three hours away, she said it was time to make good with her life before she dies." Archie nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me or Henry?"

"Patient-Doctor confidentiality. Plus Regina said to only mention it after she left."

"Right thanks." Emman nodded to the man before moving back towards her car. Slipping inside she turned back to the mansion she had come to both loathe and love. Rolling down the window she called out to Archie, "How long ago?"

Archie stared curiously for a few seconds before answering. "This morning."

Emma nodded once again before pulling away from the curb and making her way back towards her apartment.

**XXX**

Emma barged through the unlocked door and stormed upstairs leaving once again a bewildered Snow and Charming behind. Stopping at Henry's door she could hear the small wimpers behind it and was surprised that Snow hadn't come up curious as to where Henry was or why he was upstairs with the door closed.

Knocking gently she spoke. "Henry?" Twisting the door knob she stepped inside to see the boy curled up on the bed trying furiously not to cry.

"Did you find her?" He sat up swiping at his eyes. "Tell me you found her?"

Emma grimaced at the weak voice speaking to her. She didn't want to be the one to have to disappoint him. She hated disappointing him. Right now she guessed this was exactly how Regina from the moment Henry picked up that book. She shook her quickly shaking the thoughts out of her head. _Henry's not going to be disappointed this time. No not this time. _"Not yet Henry but I will." Emma stood up exited his room with the boy in tow and quickly making her way downstairs.

"You will?"

Emma turned to face him coming face to face with puppy dog tear filled eyes and puffy red cheeks. Placing both hands on his shoulders she nodded. "I'll find her and I'll bring her back. I swear too you I will, no matter what it takes I'll bring Regina back. Turning she walked out the door leaving Henry in the care of the now very-extremely bewildered looking Snow and Charming.

She would bring Regina home no matter what it took.

**Going to try and get two more chapters up but we'll see if I can. Anyway hope you enjoyed.**


	3. Decisions, Decisions, Promises, Promises

**Hey guys and girls just want to say thank you to all the reviewers, you people make my day when I get a review I light up but also I want to thank everyone who favorited and are following this story - I want to thank you all for just reading it. So big thanks. Here's Chapter 3 and I promise I will eventually get around to editing.**

**XXX**

Emma had what one would say 'the pedal pressed to the medal' - gunning down the street, having sped dramatically past the 'Leaving Storybrooke' sign an hour and a half ago at most she felt like she was one of the stunt drivers in 'The Fast and The Furious'. _Just an hour and a half more to go Emma. _Emma pressed her foot even harder down on the little bug raising the sped even more. _I bet I could get there in less than half that time. _Emma challenged her inner voice. _Good thinking Emma, what about whilst your thinking about speeding through stop signs and gunning down the road like a maniac you also think about what your gonna say to Regina once you find her._

Emma's grip on the steering wheel loosened her knuckles beginning to gain there color back from the pale white they were. She hadn't actually thought that far. She had just sped out of the apartment jumped in her car and sped off to the nearest town where Emma hoped Regina would stop for the night before leaving completely. Hopefully she could catch her before she left altogether or otherwise she wouldn't know what to do. She knew if somebody truely wanted to disappear they could and Regina was somebody that when she set her mind to things they never happened half way or were only somewhat completed - she went all out with whatever she did. Hell she cursed an entire land.

"I'll just tell her she needs to come back for Henry because he really misses her. It's not a lie. It's the truth." Emma nodded to her own plan but her inner voice had other ideas. _Like that's going to work. Like she's really going to believe Henry loves her after everything. _"I could use guilt and tell her she doesn't really love him if she doesn't come back." Emma argued back. _Oh even more brilliant have a pissed of Regina whose magic is back and who is currently more than likely in a fragile state coming after our hide. Best idea yet Emma. _Emma grimaced at that, yeah so it wasn't the best plan she had ever had. It didn't matter she had forty five more minutes - no thirty more minutes to think about that. Pressing down on the accelerator she promised it would be only thirty minutes.

**XXX**

Emma pulled into the small town, pulling up beside the only lodge located in the area. Jumping out of the car she slammed the door shut behind her and took in the cars in the parking lot. Three SUV's, no mercedes and one Hummer. No sign of Regina. She sprinted towards the lodging doors taking the steps two at a time as the dark gradually seeped into the sky. Reaching for the door she yanked it open roughly and came face to face with the very person she was after. _God if only everything in life was this easy. _

"Miss Swan?" Regina's surprise was evident in her tone and across her features.

"Regina." She nodded swallowing.

Stepping out of the lodge building into the chilly night air she wrapped the long black coat she had on around her tighter and looked the blond woman up and down in curiosity. "What are you doing here Miss Swan?"

"I could ask you the same thing Regina."

"I sent a letter that explained everything." Regina countered starting for the lodging parking lot.

"Actually it hardly explained everything. What's really going on? You..y..you brought a Hummer?" Emma questioned watching as the woman unlocked, "When did that happen? And what the hell happened to your car?"

Regina smirked, "Magic Miss Swan." Regina said getting up and into the large vehicle grabbing the inside handle of the door preparing to shut it in Emma's face but a hand gripping the door forestalled that plan. "Miss Swan if you don't mind removing your hand from my door."

It wasn't a question, statement or even a request it had come out as an order. One Emma wasn't going to follow without some actual solid answers and Regina driving back to Storybrooke with her. "You can't be serious about this. About leaving."

"It seems I am Mis-"

"Cut the crap!" Emma yelled. Lowering her voice to hide their conversation from curious on lookers she argued defiantly refusing to believe Regina was just packing up to leave for no reason. "Look around you Regina, your sitting in a bloody Hummer - a nice Hummer but a Hummer nontheless. This isn't you."

"With all due respect Miss Swan you don't know me." _Note to self: Pick up an extra bottle of tequila. No, no, no more alcohol. But god this woman could make anyone an alcoholic. _

"No I don't but I do know Henry misses you and he made me promise I'd bring you back."

Regina sighed clearing the small amount of hope that perhaps it were true and Henry really did care for her. Deep down she didn't believe it and in someway she didn't blame him after everything she had done to so many people who would want a mother who was pure evil. She knew what it was like to have a mother who was pure evil. There was no such thing as redemption there was only attempts which is exactly what she was going to do. To attempt to redeem herself and if there was a god out there then perhaps he would take pity on her when it's her time to go. After all didn't someone quote 'There is two sides to every story' god knows she definitely had two sides too hers. "If that were true and I'm not saying it is I'm not going back anyway. He deserves something that makes him happy, people who can teach him to grow up right. Not the Evil Queen."

Emma frowned at that. Sure she hadn't spoken or seen Regina since the womans mother had been defeated but before that she had seen the difference in Regina and how much she had changed. _Screw this I'm going with guilt. _Emma told herself opening her mouth to speak. "If you love Henry you would never have left Storybrooke." The death glare had her inner voice packing up suitcase and running away like Speedy Gonsales with nothing but a 'That's all folks' and a streak left in her inner voice's wake.

Calming herself down Regina spoke tersely, "If that's what you wish to believe Miss Swan than you may do so as I hate to sound like a broken record I will repeat this once and only once. I love Henry more than anything."

Emma sighed. Mentally checking her body parts to make sure Regina hadn't magicked anything important away. Once satisfied she continued. "Then come back to Storybrooke prove it to Henry. Prove that you love him."

"For ten years I proved to him I loved him Miss Swan, then your - Mother," she spat the word out "Gave him that Fairytale book and all of a sudden I was no longer his mother but an Evil witch instead. Ten years I gave him but one book has him believing I wasn't good enough to be his mother."

"But he wasn't wrong, you were the Evil Queen and I strain the word _was_ your not anymore Regina." Emma said truthfully.

"You are who you are Miss Swan you can't change that. I can't change that. No one can. The only thing one can do is try and try and try again hoping - no praying that they get it right one day. That one day, one good deed will make up for the countless bad ones but it doesn't." Regina turned away from Emma and stared out into the blackening environment, the air around them getting colder with each passing second.

The darkness seemed to encompass them both. _Something familiar you notice Miss Mills? _Her own inner voice quieried. _It's me. Something that nobody seems to acknowledge till it's on there doorstep blocking out the sun - blocking out the light that's inside. It's something you can't stop from coming around. You can't change it not matter what you do. _"Miss Swan I'm not coming back to Storybrooke. Not now at least."

"What do you mean by 'not now at least'?"

Regina reached into the coat pocket pulling out a medium sized journal in which she had spent the time since arriving at the small town copying the list into. She held it out for Emma turning to face the blond with a expectant look as if believing the journal held all the answers - hopefully for her they did.

Hesistantly Emma took the journal, removed her hand from the car door and slowly open the tanned brown leather journal to the first page. A picture of Regina hugging Henry tightly, it looked to be the boys first day of school. The caption underneath took her attention away from the photo, it read; 'For when you start to fall. Remember why your doing this all.'

Emma looked back up at Regina who had turned away once again to stare out into the dark and not for the first time since she had found out about her power had she wished that she had gotten the ability to read minds instead. Looking back down at the journal she flipped the page and read. She only needed to read one page to understand what the journal was about. "Your doing a Bucket List?"

"As you can see Miss Swan I am." Regina nodded.

Emma blinked a few times. _My internal lie detector is definitely broken and my internal mechanic has left town to go live in Mexico. _"Your kidding? Right?" There was no way this woman would want to complete a Bucket List.

"I assure you I'm not Miss Swan," Regina spoke harshly as she took the journal back from Emma's shocked grasp and quickly shut the door and applied the lock.

Snapping out of her shock she tapped on the glass window. "Regina open up this is crazy. Are you even listening to yourself? Are you actually believing yourself?"

"Goodbye Miss Swan," Regina said pushing the key into the ignition.

The moment Emma realized tapping on the window wouldn't work she looked around for anyway to stop the woman from leaving. One thing and one thing only had to work - hopefully it would but then again their history told her what she was about to do wasn't exactly the most sane thing she had ever done. Even guilt-baiting the Evil Queen paled in comparison but hell she survived that, what's the worse that could happen?

Sprinting around to the back of the Hummer she laid down stretching herself out behind the wheels. The car backed up an inch and Emma flinched. _She wouldn't really run me over would she? _A mere few millimeters away from her arm, the car pulled to a jolting stop and Emma prayed to whatever God existed that the woman wasn't all Evil. She heard the car door slam shut and the clicking heels. She took a glance from were she was laying to see those heels attached to long smooth legs that ran on forever - well until she came face to face with a pissed looking Regina.

"Miss Swan get out from behind my car now!"

Emma shook her head and prayed that her plan would not be her undoing, "Not until you promise to come back to Storybrooke."

"You should know by now my promises mean nothing."

Emma shook her head. "That's not true."

"Miss Swan I will give you three seconds to get out from behind my car before I reverse over you."

Emma eyed the woman cautiously. She wouldn't really reverse over her would she? Did she want to test that theory to it's possible short lived end? "I'm not budging till you promise me you will come back to Storybrooke."

"Three."

"Just come back Regina. Please for Henry?"

"Two."

Sighing she shook her head defiantly whilst praying to that same God that she lives to see another day.

"One."

"Still not moving," she sung childishly.

Regina conceded, "Very well Miss Swan."

The click-clack of heels retreated as did the figure of Regina Mills. The opening and closing of a car door was heard and then the ignition roared again. Emma squeezed her eyes shut praying for quick and painless death.

Regina sat in the car glancing out the side mirrors were she could just see the tip of a blond head. _The womans persistant you have to give her that - and courageous. _"Shut up," Regina chided her inner voice. With a sigh she shut off the engine once again and clambered out of the vehicle for the second time in a mere matter of minutes. Making her way over to Emma she conceded to Emma's demands once again. "Very well Miss Swan I promise to return to Storybrooke..."

"Yes!" Emma cheered jumping to her feet with a large beaming smile on her face.

"Once I've completed my Bucket List." The face fell immediately and Regina reveled in it.

"What? No deal!" Emma shook her head. "No way your coming home now."

"Miss Swan I am a grown woman you have no control over me." Regina stood in her Mayoral pose in defiance against the Savior.

"I promised Henry I'd bring you back."

"Well then as I see it you have two options."

Emma rolled her eyes, "And what are those exactly?"

Regina smirked, "Option one; you can go back home to Storybrooke without me and break your promise to Henry-"

Emma shook her head and cut Regina off with finality in her voice. "Not gonna happen."

Regina held up her hand smirk still in place "or you could come with me and help me complete the list and you return to Storybrooke with me and keep your promise to Henry." She had her. Finally after so long she finally had her. She'd go back to Storybrooke and Henry would finally be disappointed in his birth mother and Emma would feel exactly how Regina has felt ever since _Snow White _gave him that damned book. She smirked reveling in her victory.

"Very well Regina you win."

Regina's smirk widened. "Then this is goodbye."

"Goodbye?"

"Yes goodbye Miss Swan."

"But I'm coming with you."

Regina's smirk fell away and her demeanour changed. "No way. I will not have you along for the trip."

"Well as somebody I know once told me 'You have one of two option' - number one being; you can accept me coming along on this bucket list or number two I lay down behind your car until you get fed up that you actually decide to run me over."

"That's a difficult choice to make Miss Swan. The option to run you over is very, very tempting I will not lie I have dreamed off running you over and many, many more of your demises. However because of your importance to Henry I will concede and allow you on the journey." _How long could Emma possibly last? Half of the stuff on the list would have her running home - not driving. Running. _

"Very well. Let me make the neccessary arrangements." Emma pulled out her phone and punched in her mother's number. It was coming on eight o'clock they had been standing outside for a good hour and a half nearly. She heard the click of the phone call being accepted on the other side. "Ma-Sn-Mom?"

"Emma? Where are you? When are you coming home?"

Emma risked a glance in Regina's direction to find the woman staring exasperatedly back at her. With a small smile she answered, "I'm at the small town a few hours away from Storybrooke and I-" she hesitated unsure how to explain to her mother, "I'm not sure when I'll be back so I need you to do something for me."

"Has this got something to do with Regina? You should just let that woman leave. Henry will get over it eventually."

"Perhaps but a promise is a promise."

"Wait. You actually found her?" Snow sounded surprised.

Emma nodded even though she knew her mother couldn't see her. "She's currently standing in front of me."

"Then why won't you be home soon?"

"Regina has somethings she has to take care off first and I'm-" she hesitated once again. Cautiously she finished, "-I'm assisting her."

"What sort of things? You know that womans pure evil right? How could you trust her?"

Because deep down Emma knew that no one person was purely good, nobody was perfect just like nobody was truly evil. Regina just had to find her way out of the large abyss that she had found herself stuck in - like a large fishnet in which Regina was tangled in and had to find a way to unravel all the rope. "I made a promise to Henry to bring her back."

"Tell her Henry misses her."

Emma sighed, "I did and even tried the guilt card. It didn't work."

"Emma-"

"Mom I'm doing this but I need you too look after Henry because I'm not sure how long this will take and also I need Dav-Dad to drive out here and pick up my bug."

"Emma please don't do this."

"Can you or can you not look after Henry?" Emma listened to her mother sigh over the phone before the response came defeated.

"Very well Emma, what do you want me to tell him?"

"Tell him I'll call him as soon as I can and that his mother's love him very much." Emma said looking into the eyes of the former Mayor. She was pretty sure she could see them glistening with unshed tears. She quickly said her goodbyes and hung up.

Straightening out her posture. Regina inhaled deeply covering the emotions she was sure was showing. She wasn't weak. She wouldn't cringe. "Are you now ready Miss Swan?" She watched Emma nod before giving a brisk one back in return. "Very well let's get going."

With that Regina climbed into the still rumbling Hummer and shut the door behind waiting for the red jacketed blond to climb into the passenger seat next to her. The H1 series Hummer was large allowing a large amount of distance and space between the two with a mounted laptop swing from the dashboard and the stereo and airconditioning controls in between the two front seats, autmatic lock was located there also along with the in car phone option.

Emma reached over to turn the vehicles radio on only to have her hand slapped away. "Ouch!" she rubbed the victim hand.

"Don't touch Miss Swan."

Emma sighed and slouched further into the passenger seat.

"Seat belt Miss Swan. I'd rather not be pulled over."

Emma grumpily and roughly pulled the seat belt on. Folded her arms across her chest and pouted.

Regina smirked triumphantly. _I'll give it a week. _Regina's smirk widened and she countered her inner voice. _I give it less. _

Emma looked over to Regina who pushed the gears into reverse and back the vehicle out gently away from the building. She watched as the woman once again shifted the gears gracefully into drive and pulled away from the lodging, her yellow bug and her old life - their old life - for god knows how long. She pulled onto the main interstate and into change.

**Okay I know I promised Chapter 4 would come automatically after Chapter 3 but this chapter turned out to be a lot longer then I assumed it would be. But fear not I am already working on Chapter 4 and it should be ready in the next two or three days.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed it.**


	4. Mardi Gras

**Thanks for all the reviews. Favorites and Follows it means a lot to me. I would also like to point out this chapter may have mistakes in it since I haven't slept in a while and this is a quick update. Anyway hope you enjoy this chapter as I enjoyed very much writing it.**

**XXX**

Emma rode the elevator up to the third story of the hotel. She had gotten a single bed room on the first floor whilst Regina had claimed the larger room on the third floor. She couldn't exactly argue with the woman since all she had, had on her when she left Storybrooke was her wallet which held twenty five dollars and two cents leaving Regina to have to pay the expenses - as the older woman had continuously reminded Emma.

Dressed in jeans, t-shirt and her signature leather jacket the elevator pinged upon arrival of the third floor and Emma stepped out into the creamy crowned decorated wall. She took longer strides down the hall turning corners when necessary, skipping over numbers that meant nothing to her. The only room she needed was room 302. Regina's room - and god she couldn't wait to get there and demand an explanation as to why they were in a town where people were launching beads at her from every direction not matter where she walked. Not to mention the crazy outfits and weird masks that she had run into just getting a coffee and breakfast.

Large gold metallic numbers read; 302, boldly. Taking a deep breath she raised her had and knocked twice then three times in succession creating her own tune. The door swung open and there stood Regina dressed in a multi-colored sequined jacket, frilly shirt and leather pants. Her hair was in the process of being completed. "What the hell are you wearing?"

"A little more respect would be appreciated Miss Swan especially after paying for your room, food and your new clothes," Regina looked the blond up and down briefy. "Even though your wardrobe has not changed."

"Just answer the question Regina. Why are you wearing that get-up?" Emma was seriously considering the woman was in the midst of a mid-life crisis _And you decided it was a good idea to go on a trip with her? _Emma looked around for a few seconds before realising that voice was her inner self. _So you decided to come back after abandoning me? Chicken-shit! Now you show up. _Emma scoffed at that.

Her inner voice had abandoned her to Regina for the past day since the past two days since she had left Storybrooke with Regina. They hadn't spoke except for brief sentences here and there, nothing massive, no conversations just the idle comment or two. A brief order here and there. She had tried bringing up Henry to disrupt the silence and start a conversation but nothing had happened, Regina either ignored her or changed the subject only to have it reverted back to silence. The woman hadn't even lashed out at her for any of her impromtu jokes or persistence of talking about Henry instead she just remained silent which was scary in itself. Surprisingly Emma actually wanted the woman to lash out at her so she knew that the Regina she knew was still in there somewhere.

"I believe you will find the answer to that question in the journal. Page 12." Regina nodded to her leather bound journal on the nightstand while she pulled four-five-six-nine beads neckalaces over her head and moved back to a duffel bag.

Emma hesitantly made her way to the journal, picked it up and flipped through the pages till she reached page 12. The title was sprawled across the top; Mardi Gras. Underneath it lied a large blank space and under that was written a brief description of Mardi Gras and why it was a good idea to add it to her Bucket List. "Really Regina? Mardi Gras? Couldn't of put Bungee Jumping in it's place? Or perhaps Skydiving? Hang Gliding? Hell even Base Jumping!"

Regina pulled out two masks and turned to face Emma. "My dear," she smirked, "You'll find that all four are on the list." Looking Emma up and down once again she cringed slightly. "Even though you're not dressed for the occassion, the mask should be enough."

"Oh hell no Regina. I said I would come on this trip but I will take part in none of this." Emma shook her head defiantly.

"Miss Swan you will take part or I will leave you in this town and continue on my own." Holding out the mask she added, "We can do this the easy way - or the hard way. Which way shall it be Miss Swan?"

Emma glared at the woman. Folded her arms across her chest and stood defiantly against the former Mayor. There was no way in hell that Regina was forcing the mask on her. Nah uh - no way was that mask coming anywhere near her face. Regina wouldn't touch her with that mask with a ten foot pole.

**XXX**

"You're paying for the hotel room damage. I will take no part in what was your fault," Emma shook her fault now donning a white mask with half a purple butterfly covering the left eye, gold lines expanding from the wings curling and extending in all directions.

"If you had off just co-operated the window, lamp, bed, dressers and floor mirror would not be broken. So you are partly to blame Sheriff." Regina informed donning her own glossy red mask with a white floral design across the white cheek reaching from the edge of the mask to half-way. Small yellow dots signified flowers.

Sarcastically Emma added, "You forgot the hole in the wall, the chair that is now dangling from the chandelier and the bathroom door that is now somehow glued to the wall, not to mention the toliet is missing and the sink is upside down." Emma gave Regina an arrogant look when the woman glared at her. Somehow out of all the damage no one had ended up injured - well physically at least. Emma's pride was mortally wounded. She had lost the battle to Regina and had ended up donning the stupid mask. "Fuck!" Emma swore feeling a small thud on her head.

"Language Miss Swan," Regina chided.

Emma rolled her eyes. A second thud, a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, sev- "I swear the next person to throw a fucking bead at me is going to be resembling one."

"What did I just say Miss Swan?" Regina pointed out with force before adding, "If you are going to be downing about this I will avoid you the rest of the evening. I will not have my good mood brought down just because you are upset over a bead."

"Well when you say it like that. I think I'll put a smile on my face."

"Really?" Regina hadn't thought that, that was all it took to convince her.

"No," Emma said seriously before frustratingly adding "You leave me and I'm going back to the hotel room and you can party Mardi Gras by yourself."

Regina chuckled at the frustrated tone coming from the purple and white mask. Emma looked funny, her hair splaying out over the edge, green eyes glaring at her whilst the rest fo the face mask turned up in a smile turning Emma's words into nothing more than a meaning less threat - check that even without the mask it was a meaning less threat.

"Stop laughing I'm being serious here," Emma stomped her foot in frustration the same way Regina had seen Henry do.

"Miss Swan you are being very childish." She said matter-of-factly.

"And your being a bitch."

"I do ever so love your large vocabulary." Regina said sarcastically pushing past her and into the crowd.

Emma watched after her for a while, her left eye twitching.

_Thud!_

Another bead connected with Emma's head. Turning to face the direction in which the projectile came from she found a group of what appeared to be teenagers dressed in weird costumes and masks that were way to feathery for her liking. She glared at the group of five daring them to do it again.

Since when had her glares no longer been effective. She soon found herself drenched in bucket fulls of multi-colored beads. Red, yellow, green, blue - opening her mouth a pile slipped out, now she could literally say she had tasted the rainbow.

The group of teenagers laughed gathered beads of the ground threw them at her and turned sprinting off into the sea of people - monsters - crazies - wackos - disappearing for good. Her left eye twitched furiously as she spat out the last of the beads. Begrudgingly she stalked off in the direction Regina had left, the beads popping and cracking as they were crushed underneath her boots.

Regina handed over five twenty-dollar bills to the over eager young men. They gave their thank you's to the former Mayor before running of excitedly. She smirked casually for a few minutes at the fiery presence behind her. Masking the smirk she let one of innocence fall over her and turned to face the Sheriff of Storybrooke. "Miss Swan I must say your outfit has improved marginally." She said looking at the beads that had refused to dislodge from the blond's clothes, "If you wanted beads Miss Swan all you had to do was ask me and I would have purchased a packet of them."

"Well your Majesty, these came free off price as I wouldn't want to inconvenience you." She spoke emotionless.

"Perhaps I may know of something that could cheer you up."

Emma shook herself. Beads flying in different directions, she earned a few cheers and pats on the back, obviously thinking it was on purpose. "I doubt it," she growled out.

"Oh Miss Swan I would beg to differ."

**XXX**

It was Regina's turn to be frustrated. For the past four hours she had regretted trying to improve Emma's mood. Four hundred dollars poorer and the blond with the red jacket was far from done.

"Chocolate Mousse with whipped cream." Emma pointed out to waiter who was also donning a mask. "I'll take a croissant with it."

A bear claw, vanilla cake, cherry pie, burger and fries, hot dog, a large portion of curly fries and numerous amounts of other food and Emma still had room. Regina's frustration turned to curiosity. She looked across the fifth restraunt they had been too in a matter of hours, to the Savior and pondered how the woman managed to say so thin and eat so much. She had never seen the woman so much as run a kilometer or even around the block and she didn't exercise. Fast matabolism perhaps?

_Regina!_

Surgery?

_Hello! Regina! Anyone home!_

Magic?

_Regina! Thud! Bang!_

"Ow!" Regina glared at the woman she had been staring at, "Miss Swan you kicked me."

"Yes I did," Emma nodded.

"It's highly innappropriate not to mention not responsible and rude to kick someone."

"It's rude to ignore someone." She countered, "I've been calling you for the last five minutes. Where were you? Wonderland? Get it? Wonderland!"

Regina sat there and stared at Emma for a few seconds waiting for the woman to realise that the joke was completely flat.

Emma laughed and shrugged. "I thought it was funny."

"Apparently the only one." Regina mumbled under her breath but loud enough that Emma had heard. "Miss Swan are you anywhere near done filling your hollow legs? We must get ready for tonight."

"Hey doesn't Mardi Gras have something to do with gorging yourself on fatty foods. Something to do with eating as much as you can before ash Wednesday or something like that?" Emma shrugged at Regina and smiled at the waited who placed a large chocolate mousse in front of her, scooping up the chocolatey goodness she inquired whilst shoving a mouthful into her mouth. "So what have you got planned for tonight."

Regina cringed but obligingly answered. "A Mardi Gras formal party."

It was Emma's turn to cringe. She hated formal parties, she hated anything with the word formal in it. "Can't we just watch the parades?"

"Miss Swan this party is exclusive invite only."

Emma eyed Regina wearily. There was something up with the woman. Exclusive party. Invite only. Regina former Mayor. Curse. No one had left Storybrooke before Regina. How the hell had she gotten and invite? Better yet when? "When did you get an invite? I didn't see you receive one."

Regina crossed her legs and pulled her skirt over her knees catching a brief glance in the corner of her eye of Emma running her eyes over her legs. She smirked briefly and answered the question. "That's because I haven't received one."

Emma squinted and asked hesitantly. "Then how do you plan on getting into this exclusive invite only party?"

Regina smirked. "I believe you would call it 'Party Crashing' Miss Swan."

_Clatter! Ding!_

The spoon slipped from Emma's hand, bounced of the plate and clattered to the floor as Emma stared agape at Regina. There was no way in hell that Miss Prim and Proper Regina Mills was going to crash a party. Sure wearing what she was wearing seemed far fetched but Regina Mills crashing a party seemed out of this world. "Where's Regina and what have you done with her?"

"Nothing Miss Swan this is very much me."

Emma shook her head reached across the table, knocking glasses, plates and decorations on the table to the floor. Gripping both shoulders she shook Regina violently hoping to bring the woman back down to reality - hoping to bring the real and sensible albeit slightly boring Regina back down to Earth. "Regina! Can you hear me? It's okay I'll get you out of there wherever you are and I'll find out who locked you in there. Mr. Gold!" She exclaimed to herself. Turning back to the woman she continued frantically, "I bet you it was Mr. Gold. But don't worry Regina I'll save you!"

"Miss Swan!" Regina growled pushing away Emma's hands. "Don't be ridiculous I am perfectly fine."

"Maybe you have a fever." Emma reached her hand out to Regina's forehead pressing the back of her hand against it only to have it pushed away. She waved to the nearest waiter and exclaimed, "I need the check! The check people!"

"Miss Swan don't cause a scene people are starting to look," she growled out feeling uncomfortable underneath the gaze of others.

"I'm sorry but listen to what your saying." The check arrived and Emma slid it over to Regina who sighed and dug into her dinner purse.

"I realise what I'm saying." She stood with Emma and they both made their way out of the restraunt across the road from the hotel. "I'll see you in at 8 tonight Miss Swan. Appropriate attire should be in your room by now."

With that Emma watched Regina make her way through the rainbow crowd of bead throwers. _Appropriate attire?_ There was no way in hell Regina would go through with actually crashing a party. Regina was a responsible woman. _A responsible woman who happened to curse an entire land. _"Oh shut the fuck up! Oh shit! Not you! Ma'am I'm sorry!" She cringed and quickly took of down the street a cane wielding husband following after her. How did she get herself into this?

**XXX**

At 8 exactly a knock sounded on Emma's door. Groaning she pulled it open to find Regina standing there donning all black. A black wool skivvy and black pants. _Oh my god! Perhaps she was serious. _Emma had yet to change into the silk suit and matching black wool skivvy and pants.

"Miss Swan I do not see you in your outfit. Do you wish to do this the hard way again?" She arched an eyebrow perfectly.

Emma blinked and stepped back from the door allow Regina to step inside. "I didn't think you were serious."

"Very Miss Swan. Now please do get dressed."

Emma obliged still not believe Regina would go through with actually crashing a party. There was no way. The woman would get to the place it was being hosted and would chicken out - or hopefully she would.

A few minutes later Emma returned in the silk suit covered by a wool skivvy and pants. Thirty minutes later and they both stood across the street hidden in a large hedge looking at the large mansion like house that - if possible - was larger than Regina's house.

"This is where it's held?" Emma thumbed to the large mansion.

Regina nodded reached down the neck of the black skivvy and yanked out two black balaclavas.

_Holy shit! She's actually seriously going through with this! We could be arrested! _That snapped Emma into action. Instead of grabbing the balaclava she grabbed Regina's wrist. "What the fuck? We could go to jail for this. This is breaking and entering."

"Don't panic Miss Swan I thought this whole thing through. I've got us covered nothings going to happen."

"Does your Bucket List entail us getting jailed?"

Regina thoughtfully thought about that for a moment before nodding. "It is on the list but that won't be a part of tonights events."

"But breaking and entering is."

"I do believe party crashing entails breaking and entering." Regina nodded holding out the balaclava to Emma who looked scared shitless. "Are you in or out Miss Swan?"

"What sort of question is that?" Emma shrieked earning a few looks from passing guests who were exiting their car. Luckily all they saw was a hedge in the darkness not it's two occupants.

"Let me put it differently. Do you trust me Miss Swan?" Regina asked lightly surprised at the hopefulness in her tone.

Emma looked from Regina to the house - to what they were going to do, to breaking and entering, to more than likely prison. But surprisingly turning back to Regina whose chocolate brown eyes were staring back at her she found that; yes. Yes she did trust this woman. She trusted her with her life. "I do." She answered sincerely and took the balaclava.

With a nod Regina pulled the balaclava over her head leaving only small holes to see through. It was the only skin visible apart from her hands since long boots run up her legs under the pants.

Emma followed in suit and followed after Regina as the woman crossed the street stealthly weaving in between cars and staying out of everyones line of sight. Emma watched carefully follow each step to the exact detail. Somehow they had both managed to get across the lawn and to the fence at the side of the house without enacting any sensor lights. Briefly Emma wondered if Regina had ever done this before.

_**Beware: Dogs**_

Emma turned from the sign to Regina. Staring into the slits that were eyes. She had to look as ridiculous as she felt if Regina was anything to go by. But at the same time Emma had noticed while following in Regina's footsteps that the womans curves still managed to show under all that get-up.

"This is fucking crazy," Emma whispered fiercely. She watched Regina reach down into her skivvy neck once again and the hand returned clasped around a sealed package of meat - steaks. "Is your hotel room toliet in there by any chance?" They had still yet to locate the white porcelain bowl.

Regina rolled her eyes at Emma peeled open the seal reached in and pulled out one of the steaks. "By my calculations we have at most ten minutes to get to the back of the house. You must be quick Miss Swan no diddle daddling got it?"

Emma swallowed trying to remember why she agreed to this. _You said you trusted the woman. The woman who cursed all of Fairytale Land. Has tried poisoning you. Has given you hell. Has framed Mar-Snow your mother for murder. Killed Graham. Should I keep going? Or is it enough reasons to question why you trust the woman? _

Regina waited for the nod from Emma before launching the steaks over the fence. A few seconds later and Regina gracefully landed with a small thud on the frost covered grass.

"Shiiittt!" Emma exclaimed. "Omph."

Regina looked from the top of the tall privacy fence and down to the ground were Emma lay face down flat on her stomach. "Miss Swan do get up you are wasting valuable time."

Emma lifted her head up from the grass spitting out a mouthful of dirt. "I apologise your Majesty." Groaning she stood up and followed Regina along the wall ducking away from windows that were lit up to avoid plastering their shadows to fences. She felt like a video game character spy whose job was to steal valuable enemy intel.

Regina rounded to the back of the house looked over to Emma and motioned with a wave to the window above their heads. "Give me a boost."

"Your shitting me right?"

"Miss Swan do stop questioning me. Now give me a boost." She commanded and Emma did so.

Regina reached down her skivvy and pulled out a paint scraper. She scratched along the base of the window before slipping it under the window and prying it open. Pushing it open she placed her feet on Emma's head and boosted herself up and into the house.

Emma turned pulling the balaclava into place as Regina's head popped back out and the woman leaned out of the open window hands hanging out.

"Do a run and use the wall to boost yourself up to grab my hands. I'll pull you up."

Emma took a few steps back ran the short distance and once she was in range she placed her right foot on the wall and boosted herself up grasping the hands of the former Mayor - check that - former breaking the law Mayor.

Regina heaved pulling Emma up far enough that the woman could pull herself up and in the rest of the way.

_Bang! Crash! Thud!_

Regina held her breath wondering if anyone had heard the loud noise but the sounds of a bass beat starting and the DJ speaking told Regina that no one had heard and everything was normal. Still she whipped around to the whites of Emma's eye on the ground and lowly growled, "Do be quiet Miss Swan."

Emma stood up. "Sorry." She whispered innocently they crinkled her brow, "Hold up why am I apologising your the one who wanted to do this. I wanted no part in this."

"Then why are you here Miss Swan?"

"You threatened to leave me in this town by myself if I didn't partake in any of the activites."

"Really Miss Swan that's the best you have? You still have your phone and Snow White's number you could call and have one of them come pick you up."

It was true Emma could but her body and mind refused to allow it. They wouldn't cooperate with the fact that this whole thing was nothing but trouble. Serious. Big. Massive. Un-reversible. Trouble. Shaking her head she questioned the older womans white's, "What now?"

Reaching down her skivvy neck Regina pulled out a flash light and flicked it on lighting up the room that appeared to be a bathroom. She shone the bright light in Emma's face and watched as the woman cringed and squinted at the brightness, her pupils dilating as a hand came up to shield her face. "Strip." She answered.

"What?" Emma scoffed, "Regina if you wanted to get me naked there are so many other places you could do that. Inside somebody's house after breaking and entering is not one of them."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I mean out of the skivvy and black pants."

"Oh," Emma blushed lightly in embarrassment and was finally grateful for the itchy balaclava she had on.

Regina placed the flash light on the bathroom sink and pulled the skivvy over her head revealing the top of a silk white dress shirt, silk white jacket and silk black tie. She slipped out of the black pants to reveal silk white pants.

Emma followed suit revealing the opposite of Regina silk black dress shirt, silk black jacket and silk white tie before pulling of her pants to present silk black pants.

Regina nodded approvingly before reaching down the open part of the her shirt and presenting Emma with a face mask that was black with gold edge trimmings, gold curved lines and navy blue feathers protruding from the top in the middle and spreading out like wings. It covered just above the nose and reached up to the eyebrows but refused to go any higher.

Emma took it and stared questioningly at it. "You sure there's no toliet in your shirt?"

"It's called a seductress mask." Regina explained before reaching in and pulling out a second mask. It was a Venetian Half face mask that covered both eyes and was white with a white sequined veil and black feather protruding from the right side. It was adorned with fancy lines of black. Slipping it on Regina turned to face Emma and looked the woman up and down. "You look presentable. Ready to go?"

Emma swallowed once more and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Regina nodded grab the flash light switch it off and slipped if down the neck of her shirt throwing their ridiculous black get-up and balaclava in the the hamper. The people at the party would be so drunk that the owners would think it just belonged to some idiot and not think twice about it. Yanking open the bathroom door she and Emma entered the dark hallway.

"This way," Regina nodded in a direction and Emma reached out grabbing the older womans elbow.

"How the hell do you know? And how the hell did you know what we'd need?"

"That is a mystery dear that I shall probably never reveal."

Emma pulled on the arm she was holding. "Magic?"

Regina shook her head and answered, "I promised Henry I wouldn't use magic so I improvised. Bra's tend to hold a lot of items did you know."

Emma gulped and inahled deeply. God she did not need the image of Regina's bra in her mind cause that entailed thinking about the smooth skin that was under the silk jacket and shirt. She could put that tie to good use - or would Regina do that?

The ambience got louder the further they walked down the hall and eventually they were enveloped in the atmosphere of sweat, joy and mystery. Lights flickering around the room. The room was dressed in similar style clothing either black or white silk except for the bartenders and the bars waiters, waitresses who were dressed in all red including a full red face mask, gloves and boots. The only other color visible was their hair at the back it looked creeply like one of those horror movie parties.

Half an hour in and everything was louder and the room had fell deeper into party mode. Emma turned to Regina and asked curiously, "Do you know whose party this is?"

Regina nodded and pointed with her cocktail in the direction of a thin woman donning white and a man donning black. "Mrs. and Mr. Powell one of the richest people in the world. She's a bitch and he's a bastard."

Emma could hear the venom in Regina's words bravely inquired. "Why? What did they do?"

Regina looked around for a brief second before leaning into Emma and whispering in Emma's ear the few but important details that had Emma's eyes widening and Regina's distaste for them growing.

"So you came here for what?"

"Revenge of course." Regina smirked leaned back in her seat and looked devilishly at the two people she hated the most. Yes even Snow White and Prince Charming didn't come close to how much she hated the Powell's.

"How exactly?"

Regina's right eyebrow arched up to her hairline. "Is that a request to help."

"I've had three margaritas and two cocktails. Reasoning is starting to float out the window we left open." Emma said finishing of her cocktail and grabbing two more from a passing red man that for the past fifteen minutes she had been refering to as Cherries _or was it strawberries? _She slid one of them over to Regina and downed hers. "So what's the plan?"

Regina's smirk returned and in that moment Emma swore she could see the little Devil on Regina's shoulder smirking itself and clapping enthusiastically while the little Angel just held up a white flag in surrender.

**XXX**

Emma and Regina crept through the hall following after Mrs Powell and a man the woman had taken upstairs. Like cat burglars they slid up to the door and pressed their ears against it noses touching at the tips. Moaning could be heard on the other side.

Pulling out a small video camera Regina pushed open the door a crack and slid the camera inside until it was perfectly filming the man and woman entwining with each other. A cherry and a married woman.

"Bra? Really?" Emma said in disbelief.

Smirking, "Wouldn't you like to know." Regina flirted. She had, had enough to drink that her head was little fuzzy but she was still aware off her surroundings.

A few minutes more of filming and Regina and Emma backed away from the door shutting it as they went. They moved in tandem down the hall nodding at masked figures as they walked passed. Trying to blend in as best as possible. Slipping into the backroom they plugged the camera into the logged in computer and quickly updated the slide show to a movie.

"So what exactly is this?" Emma asked.

"At the end of the party the Powell's run a slideshow of the Mardi Gras events. I'm just updating it a little." Regina said as innocently as possible. "Done."

"So one down one to go. Right?"

Regina nodded. "How do you suppose we get him?"

"Is there a curtain behind the projector screen?"

Regina thought for a minute before nodding. "I believe so. Yes. Why?"

"I have an idea."

**XXX**

Emma and Regina reached out from the closet one grabbing the man the other encircling the mans mouth to keep the Cherry from screaming out. Emma hit him with the frying pan in the back of his head causing the man to crumble in their arms. Dragging the unconscious form to the back of the closet they dumped his body in the corner before looking at one another.

"I feel like an assassin right now. Efficient and deadly." Emma couldn't deny that together with Regina they made a perfect team. Bouncing ideas of each other and working efficiently together. In fact she had never worked better with anyone.

"Quickly grab the clothing and dress."

Emma nodded. "Keep watch."

Regina obeyed leaving the closet to stand out front of it in a guard stance while small thuds and banging could be heard from within. At a curious looking passerby's she explained, "Rat. Huge. Massive rat. My partners just trying to kill it."

_Thud! Bang! Clutter! Crash! Crack! Thud! Bang! Shit!_

"I think she missed." With that Regina watched the passerby's walk away with relief on her face.

The closet swung open and Emma stepped out dressed in red. "I dressed him in my clothes." Holding up her hands she shook her head, "Don't ask. Let's do this."

They crept down the hallway as a round of claps resounded signaling the beginning of the slide show and the end of Mardi Gras.

"Do it quickly we haven't got long."

Emma snuck into one of the back rooms startling a middle aged man and the mystery man he was wrapped up in kissing. Emma stared at them blinking in surprise. She had not expected Mr. Powell to be kissing a man - woman sure but man? No she had not expected that.

Clearing his throat Mr. Powell asked aggrivated with the intrusion. "What are you doing in here? You were specifically told not to come in this part of the house. Well answer!"

Emma inhaled and spoke. "Your wife is coming to find you. Come this way, I know a safe place." And either this man was desperate or completely stupid that he actually followed her through the house until Emma came to a halt in a large room. "Stay here I will find a way to keep your wife away."

Mr. Powell squinted, "Who are you?"

"Just a worker sir."

"Very well. Leave us and do your job." His order was filled with venom and disgust at the peasant dressed in red in front of him.

Emma nodded and left quickly shutting the door behind her before turning to Regina and agreeing. "Complete bastard."

Regina nodded leaning against the wall next to the curtain release button.

"I'm just surprised he didn't threaten me to keep my mouth shut."

"He's rich he believe's that if he pays you too keep your mouth shut, you will." She shrugged waited for the moans and groans she knew was to come and was rewarded for her patience. "Nearly time wait for our little home video to start." And it did a collective's rounds of gasps and chatter amongst the guests nearly drowned out the moaning coming from the video.

With nods at each other Regina hit the release button of the curtain hearing it clutter to the ground. A larger collective round of gasps sounded from the room on the other side of the door. Emma counted to five before a man burst through the door and ran down the hallway followed by another trying to pull on his pants. Emma turned to Regina and with a grin at each other they high fived one another.

Revenge was sweet. Even if it was revenge for Regina. Emma had to admit that yes it was the most fun she had, had in years and it was a thrill.

**XXX**

Emma and Regina walked down the street having left the party forty minutes ago. Their masks dangling around their neck and upper arms brushing against one another.

"I had fun tonight." Emma admitted.

Regina smiled. "And did we end up arrested?" She asked with amusement on her face as they they turned down the street leading to the hotel.

Emma laughed wholeheartedly. "No. No we didn't you can say it. Go on Regina I know you want too."

Regina smirked mischievously. "I have no idea what you're talking about Emma."

Emma pulled to a stop out front of their hotel with Regina. "Go on say it. I can handle it."

"Very well then. I told you so." She laughed and Emma thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.

A split second later a stampede of teenagers marched down the street carrying...Emma did a double take at what the teenagers were carrying - portraying as a shrine within the midst of torches, beads, masks and weird costumes. "Regina is that your rooms toliet?"

Regina looked at the toliet shrine as it faded in the distance before looking towards Emma. "I think I had to much to drink. Goodnight Emma."

With that Emma was left standing on the doorstep of the hotel lobby entrance smiling like a fool for that was the second time in less than ten minutes and one of the rare times Regina had called her 'Emma'. Her day was complete and no longer - at least for the moment - was she pondering what she was doing going on this trip with Regina. She was just - happy. Happy Regina had called her Emma.

Meanwhile inside her room Regina crossed of number 12. Go to Mardi Gras and number 21. Humiliate A Mortal Enemy.

**Okay very long chapter. Next one won't be up for another few days hopefully by Monday. Hope you enjoyed.**


	5. Farm Work Is Hard Work

**Okay first up I've been getting a lot of PM and Reviews regarding that no one knows exactly what Mr. and Mrs. Powell did to Regina to hit the top of her 'shit' list but I didn't mention it last chapter as yes Mr. and Mrs. Powell will return in a future one for revenge against Emma and Regina, I am actually currently working on that chapter but it will be a large one and a future chapter more than likely around 9 or 10 or maybe 11 either way do not fear you will find out what Mr. and Mrs. Powell did and whether or not they get their revenge or Emma and Regina manage to embarrass them once again and escape punishment. Also I'd like to give a shout out to (polybi) who wrote me a rather amusing review that made my day. I'd also like to say thank you to all the people who review and favorite and follow. You guys keep me writing. Enjoy this chapter.**

**XXX**

_"In later news Mr. and Mrs. Powell were caught 'literally' doing the deed but not with one another. The shocking photos and video footage that has yet to be able to be taken down from websites and is currently spreading on the World Wide Web shows both Adam Powell and Lorraine Powell doing the deed with complete strangers - most shocking of all was the stranger caught with Mr. Powell; as a non-supporter of Gay Rights the actual caught in the act scandal of himself with another man begs to ask the question; What was he thinking? Both Mr. and Mrs. Powell have ignored any questions from the public and media. Is their relationship on the rocks or has it already ended and who were the mysterious people behind the camera? - Now onto the weathe..."_

Emma snorted a laugh and looked away from the news reporter and down to the newpaper she held in her hands with the large bold headline **SHOCKING SCANDAL **another snort of laughter and she folded the paper in half and slid it to the far end of the booth out of her way.

"Do you ever think it'll die down?" Emma asked once Regina returned with two coffee's, a breakfast plate and apple muffin.

"Eventually." Regina said neutrally, "I have to admit that tech man ripped himself off. One hundred dollars just to keep the video and photos spiralling on the web." Regina scoffed, "Personally - I would have asked for more."

"In the last twenty minutes I've managed to get three thousand and something views." Emma said cockily. "If it keeps up like this by the end of the week I'll be more popular than that Kangaroo Boxing Youtube video."

"Yes well enjoy your fifteen minutes of fame Miss Swan."

Emma sighed. It had been three days since they had left New Orleans and the Mardi Gras festival behind, three days and four hours since Regina had last called her Emma. "You know since we have to spend like twenty four hours and seven days a week together, maybe, I don't you could call me Emma."

"Miss Swan this trip is not for us to associate on. In fact you would never even be here if you hadn't off been so pushy."

Emma squinted slightly. "Yeah well you didn't put up that much of a fight."

"You were under the wheel of my Hummer."

"Our Hummer."

"My Hummer Miss Swan and we are not having an argument over that."

"Just let me drive. Please?"

Regina shook her head. "That Hummer is never going to be allowed in your hands."

"You can't drive all the time Regina." Emma countered.

"Your not touching my car and that's final Miss Swan." Regina spoke in that voice that she would use to tell Henry that what she said was 'final' and that there was no arguing about it.

"I'm not a child Regina. You can't speak to me like that." Emma squirted sauce onto her eggs and bacon before looking up at Regina and pointing down at the plate, "Look I made a smiley face."

Regina sighed.

**XXX**

"Why are we at Harvey Farm?" Emma shook her head, "Correction why are we at a farm at all?"

Regina pushed the Hummer up the dirt path the farm house coming into view. It was fairly large with white wooden paneling. Clean and polished with a small garden out front and a veranda. "Because Miss Swan this is were we will be staying for a few days while I complete number thirty-two on the list."

"Thir-thirty two? How many do you have?"

"Enough to complete my life time goal." Regina said pulling the Hummer to a stop next to the old pick up truck with hay bales.

Emma sarcastically asked, "And what's that? Going crazy? Cause you don't need to try too hard."

"No Miss Swan." With a smirk she turned to Emma, "It's driving you crazy."

With that both Emma and Regina exited the large vehicle. Emma in a huff looking like a disgruntled child and Regina looking like the ever perfect picture of Mayor or Queen or basically Regina like whatever you wish to call it. _You could just go with Regal _her inner voice suggested whilst Regina made her way up to the two occupants waiting on the steps of the veranda. _Sexy Regal._ Emma swallowed and followed after Regina.

"So you two are the couple?"

Emma looked surprised but was immediately pulled to Regina's side by an arm around her waist. "That's us." Regina smiled warmly whilst Emma looked on confused an awkward smile plastered on her face. _What portal did I step into this time? Where the hell is Jefferson's hat? It has to be around here somewhere._

The conversation went on a little longer as the two occupants explained they were husband and wife Felix Harvey and Belinda Harvey. They had four kids; twin boys, 9 years old a mischiefs, a teenage daughter aged 17 and a little girl 13 months old. Once the introductions were over and done wit- _Wait me and Regina have been together for 7 years? I haven't even known her that long. I wonder what it would be like to be involved with someone like Regina for 7 years. _

"Emma?" Regina clicked her thumb and forefinger in front of Emma's face snapping the woman out of her dreamy looking gaze that was aimed at Regina.

"Huh? What?"

"Would you like the tour of the grounds now or tomorrow in the morning?"

Emma looked between the innocent looking Regina and the aging couple awaiting her response. "Umm now should be fine."

The couple nodded and directed both Emma and Regina to follow them inside the house. There they spent the next hour and a half touring the farm house and the stables as well as the shed. Emma and Regina both asked a few questions having never spent time on a farm. The questions were answered in simple lay-man terms so that both parties understood one another. Coming onto six o'clock, Felix explained he had some chores to do around the farm and Belinda had to start dinner. With a smile Emma and Regina made their way out of the farm house to retrieve their gear for the four night stay.

Once out of ear shot Emma turned to Regina, "Couple? Seven years?"

"Sshh keep your voice down." Regina chastised quietly pulling Emma around to the back of the Hummer out of the line of sight of anyone who may be looking from the front of the house. "It was discounted for gay couples."

Emma blinked. "Really?"

"Yes they took down the price. Something to do with supporting gay rights or something like that." Regina shrugged twisted the key in the trunks lock and open pulled it open.

"So we're a couple?"

"Just for four days Miss Swan not a lifetime." Regina pulled out a duffle bag and a second bag on wheels. "Plus how hard could it be?"

**XXX**

Emma exited the room she was going to share with Regina for four nights - four nights of sharing a room and a bed with Regina. She didn't know whether to be ecstatic with that or absolutely terrified. _I wonder if I snore? I'm sure Regina will let me know if I do. _Emma was stopped in her path in the hallway by two light brown haired boys. "Hi?"

"Hi."

"Hi."

Emma looked at them curiously. In foster care she had know more than her share of twins and each and everyone she met were mischief makers, always pulling pranks or switching names. She hated identical twins for that exact reason. Sure there was no such thing as completely identical but without actually taking a blood sample, or a hair folicle or a saliva sample there was no way to tell them a part unless there was a birth mark visible or one such subtlety. These boys had none and she knew she was in for it.

"Anything you need?" The first one asked innocently.

"Yeah anything you need?" The second one followed.

She was weary. She was alert. She was at full defcon mode. She was prepared for the Man Made Disaster called 'twins'. "No I'm fine thanks."

"I'm Tim."

"No I'm Tim your Tom."

"No your Tom I'm Tim. Or am I Tim and your Tom?"

"Perhaps I am Tim and you are Tom. But maybe I am Tom and you are Tim." The second boy grinned mischievously, "Whose Tim?"

Emma looked between the two confusing boys who were grinning at her. Sarcastically she pointed at herself. "Well I know who I am. I'm Emma and that's all that matters." With that she walked past the trouble makers and continued down the hall. The two boys following her. Was it weird to feeling like you were being stalked if it was by two nine-year olds? _Is it still classified as stalking at that age?_

Emma breathed a sigh of relief upon finding Regina in the kitchen sitting behind the bench sipping a glass of wine while Belinda worked on chopping vegetables, the two boys were still following closely behind her. But now they were laughing and giggle _and conspiring_ she thought to herself as she stepped up beside Regina.

"Miss Swan I see you met my two boys. I hope your behaving for our guests." Belinda looked down at her two young boys who nodded and smiled innocently.

"Yes mom."

"Yes mom."

Emma shook her head at the reply when the boys started giggling and ran away. She had a feeling that wouldn't be the last she saw of them. _Just four days Emma. _Turning to face the two women in the kitchen she asked, "Anything I can do to help?"

"Regina just asked the same thing. I'm fine but thank you. If only my children offered to help - with anything."

Emma nodded and looked down at the 13 month old baby who was sitting on her high chair at the counter on the other side of Regina. She smiled and pulled a face giving an innocent smile to Regina when the woman turned to face her. The moment she turned back she pulled another face different from the first earning a round of giggles. She gave Regina a 'What are you looking at?' face when the woman turned to face her which seemed to make the little girl giggle even harder. The moment Regina turned back Emma pulled another face but this time Regina was to quick for the blonde and caught the look. Emma smiled guiltily in Regina's direction and strangely enough the baby seemed to giggle harder then before and she swore she could see it mocking her. _That's ridiculous Emma it's a bab-Oh my God! Did it just stick it's tongue out at us? Let me at it!_

**XXX**

Dinner went by quickly. The two boys chowed down their foods while staring mischievously at Emma and she knew they were indeed plotting something to do against her. The 13 month old baby however decided that throwing it's food in Emma's direction was more entertainment then eating it. In the end Emma ended up with more food on her then the kid had ended up with in her mouth.

"I think you need a shower." Regina commented picking out pieces of shredded carrot from her hair. "Your outfit and the food makes you look like an all you can eat buffet."

Emma's eye twitched so bad that she had to remind herself that the woman standing in front of her trying to take hard parts of mushed up food out of her hair was in fact the very same woman that raised your son for ten whole years. The very same woman that you promised Henry you would bring back. _I didn't promise I'd bring her back alive did I? _

Exhausted Emma flopped down onto the bed, clothes still clogged with food, hair tangled with food and shoes still on.

"Miss Swan I will not be sleeping in the same bed as you if you don't take a shower."

"Well then Regina unless you can shower me were I am now it looks like you'll be sleeping on the floor. I'm too tired and cranky to shower."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Miss Swan you have tomato soup on your butt and I really don't want to know how it got there."

Emma shrugged and replied her voice coming out muffled from her face being squished into the pillow.

"I'm sorry Miss Swan I didn't hear you."

Emma yanked the pillow from underneath her head and threw it back towards Regina who caught it expertly. "I said there's your pillow. You know where the couch is, feel free to take a blanket." Emma grinned upon hearing footsteps retreating. A few minutes later and those same footsteps returned, barely aware of them in her almost sleep state Emma clung to her pillow for dear life befo- _Holy Hell! _"What the fuck Regina it's freezing?"

Regina smiled and dragged the blankets towards the door. "Thank you dear for the blankets. Your so sweet letting me have them." With a smirk she was gone leaving a wide eyed, fully awake Emma laying on her side staring at the door, drenched in food and hugging her knees to her chest to escape the bitter cold air.

**XXX**

Emma's eyes snapped open and her body shot up at the wet cold slippery liquid sliding down her face onto the pillow and now down the rest of her body. Panting and breathing hard her eyes took in her surroundings. Two young boys stood a plastic cup in one of their hands and a cheeky smile in place at the side of her bed.

"Morning."

"Morning."

With that Emma watched them take off through the bedroom barely missing Regina who stopped just in time to avoid colliding with them as the two little devils took off out of the room. God, what had she done in a past life to deserve this?

"Miss Swan how was your night?"

Emma glared the woman across from her looking fresh and rejuvinated in - "What are you wearing Regina?"

"I belive it is called a checkered button down shirt and jeans. I have yet to put on the boots." She smiled finished brushing her hair and dropped the hair brush into a small bag. "There are clothes for you in the bathroom for after you shower."

Emma groaned remembering how she had gone to sleep last night. She ran a hand through her hair and regretted it immediately when it got caught and end up tugging her head back in the large mass of knots and food.

"Well Miss Swan time to get up it's just past five in the morning. We must get ready for our day."

Emma looked to the little alarm lock on her side of the bed for an explanation, only to see that it was in fact 5:03 in the morning. Shining and flashing in it's little LED red light way Emma groaned, turned back to Regina and immediately ducked under the covers bring the blankets up and over her.

"Fuck that Regina. I don't get up at this time to save the world, so what makes you think I would get up at this time?" Emma heard some rustling and shuffling as she waited for a response when none came she spoke up again. "What could you possibly have on that list that requires you to be up at such an unholy time of the morning?" She waited once again and when no answer came she peeked out from underneath the blankets only to find a book sailing towards her head. Ducking in time it clattered against the head board. "Hey watch your aim!"

Regina snapped her fingers. "My aim was good it was your timing off ducking your head out the way that was bad."

Emma glared once again before picking up the book. "What number your Majesty?"

"I believe I told you it was thirty-two and some parts of our stay here will belong to forty-seven." Regina shuffled around through her bags till she produced another small bag of aeresol cans.

Flicking through the book she stopped at thirty-two and stared at it for a little while. "Learn the basics of working a farm?" Without waiting for answer she flicked the pages ahead until she reached teh fort-seventh page. Looking up at Regina for an explanation she asked, "Really? Milk a Cow? When are we going to do anything normal Regina?"

"You do understand the workings of a Bucket List do you not?"

"Regina-" she pointed down to the book "-you have milk a cow in this."

"Yes, yes I do Miss Swan and if you think that is weird your really should wait till a few more start showing up." Regina moved around to Emma's side of the bed and snatched the book away from the blonde woman. Pulling out a small picture from her purse she grabbed a glue stick sitting on her night stand and quickly swiped the glue over the back of the picture before smoothing it down onto journal paper, she repeated with a second small picture. Happy with her handiwork she closed the journal, shoved it into an inside zip pocket of a duffel bag and looked towards Emma. "Miss Swan. Shower." She pointed towards the bathroom.

Emma shook her head, "Nuh uh. I ain't getting up it's too early." Regina stared at Emma for a few seconds before taking on her Regal pose with mischievous smirk that reminded Emma of the two little devils. _Was this family related to Regina? Like very very very - VERY! distantly?_

"Miss Swan we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Emma shook her head and rolled back over cuddling inside of the blankets. She was in her own pocket of warmness. A few fingers outside of that blanket told her that it was definitely freezing outside.

"Hard way it is then Miss Swan."

"What are you going to do? Magic me to the shower? Your not using magic remember? Your not using it for Hen-" Emma found herself flailing, screaming, falling -

_Rustle! Bang! Crash!_

Emma found herself face down on the cold wooden floorboards the matress ontop of her the blankets and sheets tangled up within her limbs.

"I'll see you in fifteen Miss Swan." Regina's smirk was obvious in her tone as was a hint of laughter as she waltzed out of the room all high and mighty in her ways.

Emma sighed. She had once again been outdone. She quickly snuck out from underneath the matress and from out of the tangles of sheets and blankets. Once she had finally stood up she looked back to the bed fram and the jumble of bedding hanging of off it. _When had Regina gotten so strong as to lift a double bed with somebody on it? _Once again with a sigh she made her way to the bathroom for a warm shower.

"Fifteen minutes my ass Regina. Try fifty." Emma snorted in disbelief. She had never had a shower that had been less than half an hour. Stripping herself of her clothes she jumped inside the small squared glass shower and slid the door shut behind her. Switching on the hot water she was immediately assaulted with the freezing temperatures and with nowhere to move in the small shower she screamed. "REGINA!"

Belinda looked to Regina who sat on the bar stool in front of the counter sipping on a cup off coffee a smirk barely being covered by the cup held up to her face.

"What was that?"

Regina placed the cup down and if possible the smirk widened. "I believe Emma has just found out the difficulties of farm water."

**XXX**

"Okay your both here that's good news." Felix said picking up a small tin bucket and handing one to Regina the moment Emma had stepped out from the back of the house. He handed her one once she reached their little group. "Alex should be here shortly."

Low and behold a teenage girl came scrambling up to the group stomping her feet, looking very much like an adolescent Emma in her actions but suprisingly to Emma she looked more like Regina in appearance. _Note to self; Check for Regina's relations. _

"Alex this is Regina and Emma they're the visitors your mother and I spoke about."

"Who else could they be?" The girl answer holding her chin up in a way that reminded her of Regina.

"I'm Emma," Emma raised her hand to make her presence known.

"And I'm I don't care." The girl countered.

Regina held back a chuckle as Felix sorted through some stuff.

"Where were you last night at dinner?" Felix questioned the girl who suddenly looked uncomfortable to reply. "I hope you weren't hanging around with Melissa."

With a stomp the girl waved her hands around in the air. "God why do you and mom have to be such assholes over who I hang out with?"

"Why don't you hang out with Patrick instead? He's such a nice boy."

"Oh boy," Emma whispered grabbed the crook of Regina's elbow and backed them out quietly. _Retreat! _her mind scream _Retreat! We are being over-run! Faster you imbecile!_

"Patrick's rich, has a car and an account and a house to his name once he graduates Law School."

"If you love Patrick so much, why don't you marry him yourself?" Alex kicked one of the tin bucket's into a stable door and stomped out and away from the group.

Felix turned away from his daughters 'tantrum' and to the two women who were carefully backing away. They were in complete sink as if marching backwards. Step together - step together - step toge-

"Oh shit! Please tell me that's not what I think it is?" Emma asked Regina who looked down at their almost joined feet.

"You know I hate to disappoint you Emma-"

_Load of crap. _Emma thought as she sighed once again. She didn't have to look down at the brown muck she was currently standing in, Regina's comment was enough of a confirmation for her.

"-do you want to go clean yourself up?"

Emma shook her head. "What more could happen to me today?"

**XXX**

Emma really wished she could take back those words. Those very words that had probably cost her whatever last bit of luck she had. Currently she was watching Felix milk one of the cows he had, working the utter until it suited him.

_Pull. Yank. Spray. Bucket._

Emma was sure she could do this. It seemed simple enough. Although it looked a little wrong tugging on a cows utter, she could do this. The step by step guide was more then simple enough, what's the wor- _don't say it Emma. Just don't say it. _Once the step by step guide was done being shown repeatedly and one of the cows had finished being milked by Felix, Emma and Regina were placed in front of their own cows side by side - the bucket angled between their knees to accomidate the milk when they started.

Felix gave a few more instructions, instructing them not to spook the cows or it could start off a stampede of cows. If that were too happen he explained the best position was up and on top of the railings were the cows couldn't reach them on their way out of the pen in their very own horde. Both Emma and Regina nodded in understanding and then got started.

Emma pulled first earning a large spray of milk into the bucket. She was quite pleased with herself at how well she was doing as she continued milking the cow - and she probably would have still been fine if she hadn't looked over to Regina to find out how well the other woman was going. Emma spat, sputtered and groaned when a spray full of milk collided with her face. Her own untrained focus at aiming for the bucket had resulted in a face full of raw cows milk.

Regina laughed. "You look like a man's ju-"

"Don't say it." Emma shook her head and held up a hand to Regina. Regina apparently got the message and went back to the task at hand. Emma wasn't going to argue with that and quickly returned to her own task briefly wiping away whatever milk she could with the arm of her sleeve.

Twenty minutes later and they were both nearly finished with their cow. Emma believed she had gotten good enough with the task to look away to see how well Regina was doing and surprisingly not the woman was actually doing quite well and looked surprisingly in tune with her surroundings. With a mischievous smile off her own Emma aimed one of the utters towards Regina and squeezed showering the regal woman in milk and snapping her out of her concentration .

Regina glared underneath the bath of milk at Emma who was laughing so hard she was nearly falling over onto the ground from her crouched position. With a smirk of her own Regina aimed her own cows utter at Emma and bathed the blonde in the white liquid substance. Soon it was all out war between the two women.

_Ducking. Squirting. Laughing. Squirting._

Yeah it sounded wrong but on the upside Emma had gotten Regina to laugh. Smiling to herself. There really was no better sound she had ever heard.

**XXX**

Regina brushed off the dirt from her clothes and tried to straighten them out to look as professional as possible. But with milk soaking through the shirt and jeans Emma found that Regina looked anything but professional and it was adorable.

As they stepped into the stables once again they found Alex Harvey talking to another young woman working around the stables grabbing saddles and other riding equipment. Immediately Emma prayed to whatever Gods would listen that they were not about to do what she thought they were.

Alex cleared her throat snapping the other womans attention over towards the two women. "You must be Emma Swan and Regina Mills."

"The blonde's Emma." Alex corrected.

"I'm Melissa," she nodded to the two. "Mr. Harvey asked me to set you guys up with some horses and too show you one of the common practices that we do out here. So pick your horse and I'll sattle it up." With a smile she went back to gathering gear.

Emma watched Regina set out for the horses still sitting in their stalls. Emma followed reluctantly. Would now be a good time to tell Regina she's never ridden a horse before? Shaking her head she gathered that it wasn't that difficult to ride after getting past the initial fear that they were taller then you and could crush you easily.

Ten minutes later and both Emma and Regina were watching as their horses were getting saddled up outside of the stables ready for mounting. Regina had picked an American Mustang 'Starburst' and Emma had picked a Stallion called 'Caniloni' it had reminded Emma that yes, she had yet to have breakfast and her stomach was rumbling.

"All saddled up and ready to ride. Just put your foot in the stirrup and swing your other leg around as you pull yourself up and over till your into the saddle."

Emma watched as Alex and Melissa easily lifted themselves into place before Regina quickly and gracefully did the same. Perhaps more skillfully then both girls had done and Emma briefly wondered how Regina did it and made it look so easy. With a gulp and inhale of oxygen Emma looked back to her horse, stuck her foot into the stirrup and tried pulling herself up and onto the horse immediately landing on the other side face down into the dirt.

Regina and Alex both laughed. Unable to control their loud laughter as Emma stood brushed the dirt off of herself and once again moved back to the horse. _Would now be a good enough time to tell Regina you've never ridden before? Emma? Hello? _Emma purposely ignored her inner reasoning. Sure it was sound reason but when did Emma ever listen to sound reasoning.

Answer: Never.

Once again Emma took hold of the pommel, stuck her right foot into the stirrup and hoisted herself up onto the horse swinging her leg over the other side. With a satisfied smirk she looked towards Regina and the two young girls, to see Alex and Regina clapping sarcastically whilst holding in their laughter. Sure she had made a fool of herself on her first go but she had succeeded in not doing so the next try. Sitting back a little she went to make a reply when the horse immediately reared up on it's hind legs and Emma found herself flailing and falling backwards until she connected with the hard Earth. Once again Emma found herself the laughing stock of two of the three other occupants. Looking over too the group she found out that she needed to correct that by the look on Melissa's face. At least she had the decency to try and look concerned.

Emma groaned stood up and tried again only to have the horse move away from her having herself hopping along after it with one foot in the stirrup and her hand clutching the pommel. Emma reasoned that the day could not get any worse then it already was.

**XXX**

It had taken another forty-five minutes to get Emma up and onto the saddle safely and to get the horse moving quick enough that they could reach their destination within reasonable time spans and not injure the blonde. Emma sighed. Sure for those forty-five minutes she had made a fool out of herself and had been more then enough entertainment for Regina and Regina Junior or better known as Alex.

Currently Emma was riding side by side with Regina as they followed behind Alex and Melissa who were idly chatting to one another barely paying attention too the two women behind them. Emma turned to Regina to find the woman smiling at the two girls.

"Their cute together." Emma nodded in the two girls directions when Regina looked towards her.

Regina turned back to the two girls and nodded solemnly. "Yes they are."

"You think that's the Melissa, Alex's father was talking about?"

Regina scoffed, "How many Melissa's could there possibly be out here?"

A perfectly valid question Emma reasoned when she looked around at the wide open space that was occupied by farm animals, streams, grass and moutains. The land around them seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. Hill's rolled around in the distance as grass spanned across the land reaching into those same hill's.

"She seems nice enough." Emma shrugged, "I don't see why he wouldn't let them be together. I mean he obviously has no problem with the gay part." She nodded between herself and Regina.

"Parent's prefer to do what's right for their kids."

Emma looked at Regina weirdly. "What's right is letting your kids love who they want not pressuring them into being with someone they don't love and honestly I think those two love each other." Emma nodded once again to the pair of girls. Alex was currently playfully pushing Melissa as Melissa laughed and continued to tease the other girl.

"But is it not better to be married to someone whose rich, powerful and has everything you could ever want. Is love not material possession and even if it's not you don't get to choose who you love. Sometimes things just happen that get in the way." _Sometimes little girls can't keep secrets. _Regina finished.

Emma looked to Regina. "I remember someone telling me that 'Love' is the most powerful magic of all. Love is the only thing worth having and if you can't have that. Then what do you have?"

"Money. Status. Power."

"It's not worth it if you can't have love. Sometimes love is more important and it's worth fighting for."

Regina looked down at the reigns in her hands. "Sometimes fighting for what you love can be your undoing."

Before Emma could open her mouth to ask Regina what she meant by that Melissa spoke up pointing to the pens where a bunch of cows were currently grazing the paddocks they were locked into. Emma let herself and Regina's conversation vanish into thin air 'for now' she'd bring it up later when they had a moment alone.

Sliding off the horses - Emma not as gracefully as the rest - they released the horses and let them do what they pleased whilst they were busy with other things. Near the fence was a large carboard packet of - Gloves? Emma had a feeling she knew where this was going and immediately questioned for the first time since the Mardi Gras festival why they were doing this.

"Okay so since the nearest Vet's is quite a fair distance away most farmers learn to care for their animals themselves. So that's what I'm going to show you." Melissa made her way over to the glove's packet and pulled out one handing it over to Alex, then another handing it over to Regina and a third handing it to Emma who hesitantly took it. Melissa grabbed her own and slipped it on making sure the end rode up the whole length of her arm all the way up to the shoulder until it could no longer roll-up. "These cows are the few that we have that are pregnant. Altogether there are nine."

Emma felt like a school girl on an excursion being spoken to by a teacher. In her case the year was probably half her age or more. A look in Regina's direction showed the woman was listening intently.

"Mr. Harvey has already milked them and brought them out here this morning so were all good to go." She handed a bottle of OB Lubricant to Regina who squirted it onto her gloves hand and worked it over the latex before handing the bottle to a hesitant Emma.

Emma took it and stared at it curiously. Squirting it onto the glove she quickly rubbed it up the latex until it was all the way around it. It felt cool and slippery and now she was fully aware of what was coming next. Scrunching up her face she watched as Melissa moved over to the first cow who was currently locked into a head gate facing towards it's opening - towards it's freedom into the open land.

Emma and Regina both watched on one with interest the other with disgust as Melissa lifted the tail with her non-gloved and with the gloved hand made a puppet like shape with her hand where all fingers connected with the tip of her thumb.

"To get up the cows rectum you will have to push hard as the cow will be straining to push you out."

With that they watched as Melissa pushed her hand up the cows rectum all the while the cow moo'd and tried moving away in the small closed in chute.

"If the cow has built up feces matter stopping you from reaching your destination expel it." Melissa said in all seriousness as she retracted her hand scooping a large amount of brown matter out with it as the rest loosely fell from the cows behind.

Emma tried to contain it. She would swear on Henry's life that she tried to contain it. She gagged a few times before turning and hurling onto the grass behind herself and Regina. Regina jumped out of the way of vomitting blonde as Alex and Melissa both blinked at the woman.

"Is she alright?" Alex asked stepping up beside Regina.

Regina nodded. "She should be."

A few minutes later and Emma had cleaned herself up enough and had solidified her stomach - hopefully - enough to stop herself from hurling once again. The lessons began to pick up with Melissa's hand now fully inside the cows behind.

"You will have to move in far enough to feel if there is anything in the fallopian tubes or in the uterus of the cow. It should be located below your hand, as will the rest of the female's reproductive tact. You should be able to feel a hard cylinder like shape part of the way in. If your up to your shoulder in the cow and still can't find the cervix, you're too far in and will have to move back until you can feel the cylinder object below your fingers." Melissa explained making sure the group was listening before continuing. Her hand still up the cows behind. "If you feel anything that feels like the uterus is distended - like a small oval ball of liquid floating inside it or something that feels like a fetus, then you have found the cow is bred. We pretty much know that seven of the nine are pregnant however the other two you will be finding out if they are."

"How do we tell how many months along they are?" Regina asked.

_Of course Regina would ask. _Emma's inner self countered.

Melissa thought about that for a second, looking for the easiest way to explain. "If it's two months old it should feel about the size of a mouse. At three months the size of a rat. At four the size of a small cat. At five the size of a large cat. Six the size of a small dog and finally at seven the size of a beagle." Melissa nodded satisfied with her explanation. "Then pull out of the cow and I'll release it back into the pen. At no time what so ever do you release the cow from it's front gate. If you do you may find yourself running from a rather large animal. Are we ready to give it a go?"

Emma sighed as Regina nodded. This was so not to her liking. Turning to Regina she smiled sweetly at the woman before adding sarcastically. "Sweetheart why don't you go first." It wasn't a suggestion and she could tell Regina knew that. Surprisingly Regina nodded eagerly before stepping up to another cow Melissa had just managed to herd into chute.

Emma watched as Regina followed Melissa's step by step instruction down to the letter. The cow moo'd swung it's tail and huffed. Regina spent a few minutes working her hand around in the cows behind before confirming she could in fact feel a rat like size inside the cow. Happy with her inspection Regina retracted her hand and pulled out.

Next was Alex's turn who apparently had never done this either but she had quickly gotten the idea and had simply slid her hand inside a cow and measured the size of the object inside of uterus.

Once it came to be Emma's turn the blonde scrunched up her face but went along with it anyway. Sliding up behind the cow she held her breath. From a distance they smelled but behind them they really really reaked. "Let's get this over and done with." She followed Melissa's instruction and quickly inserted her hand into the cows behind. _God hands were not made for this. Hands do not belong up a cows behind. It's so warm. _Emma shuddered at the sensation knowing exactly were her hand was. Emma shook her head at Melissa. "I can't feel a thing."

"Oh right then pull out of her."

Emma did so and the moment the hand was retracted and she was around the front of the chute it shook and the gate shot open. Next thing she knew she was running. Legs moving as fast as they could with a huffing cow chasing after her. Sure it would have made more sense for it to have been a bull but she wasn't about to argue with the large animal chasing after her that it was the wrong species. For the second time that day she screamed. "Regina!"

"Hmm I thought I locked that gate," Melissa mulled over that as they watched the blonde run for her life the cow following after her.

"Should we uh - do something?"

Regina scoffed and removed her glove using the hand sanitizer immediately after it. "Please Emma has outrun and evaded a lot worse -" _Malificent in the form of a dragon. A troll. An ogre. _"-she'll be fine."

"Regina!" _God what did I do to deserve this? _"Regina!"

**XXX**

Emma entered the farmhouse with a laughing Regina and Alex behind her, a silently chuckling Melissa bringing up the rear. The moment she entered through the door and into the foyer slash kitchen slash living room slashed dinging room she found herself the center of attention. She had twigs and leaves in her hair. Her clothes were scuffed and dirt from her hurried climbing and her face was creased with all sorts of unknown substances - that she was rather happy not knowing what it was.

"What happened to you?" Felix asked with a raised eyebrows.

Regina and Alex continued laughing so hard that their explanations came out muffled and incoherent. Luckily for Felix Melissa answered with her own chuckles in between. "Miss Swan here was running away from a cow and found a tree. She decided to climb it and after I had gotten rid of the cow we had spent the next thirty minutes trying to get her out of the tree. She had gotten caught on a branch."

Okay so it was mostly the truth. She hadn't actually gotten caught on a branch she had just clung to the tree and refused to come down at all. Whining that the cow was going to kill her. At first Regina and Alex had been laughing but then Regina had stopped and had convinced her to climb down. Once both of her feet had hit the ground she had found herself as the reason too Regina and Regina Juniors laughing.

"I'm going to take a shower." With that she pivoted and walked out hearing Regina Juniors laughter fade in the distance whilst Regina followed behind her with small chuckles. The stairs creaked as she made her way up them and down the hall towards their bedroom.

"Miss Swan stop being a part pooper."

Emma's mouth fell open as she stared at the woman whose laughter was slowly dying down. "Party pooper? I was being chased by a crazed animal."

"It was a cow and it was gone a good thirty minutes before you decided to come down." Regina shrugged let out a snort of laughter and continued, "You were whining like a baby up that tree. 'It's going to kill me'." Regina imitated Emma before falling onto the bed in another round of laughter. " 'Please don't let it kill me' or how about 'I'm too young to die' or or 'I'm still too pretty'." Regina couldn't stop and still didn't when she heard the slamming of a bathroom door.

Emma switched on the shower and dove in quickly scrubbing herself clean in the freezing water. She scrubbed her body until she felt as clean as she could possibly feel without scrubbing away skin - washed her hair and jumped out drying herself off. Emma slipped on her singlet and jeans and was immediately stopped from what she was doing upon a loud screech that reverberated through the walls of the bathroom. Dropping her clean shirt to the ground she barged out of the room to find Regina standing on top of the bed looking down onto the floor.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked looking around the room for intruders.

"The-ther-there's a spi-spi-spider." Regina stuttered.

Emma looked down and sure enough a small spider no bigger then a dime sat on the floor in front of the bed. It looked to be looking up at Regina almost bored out of it's mind obviously not getting any amusement out of scaring a human. Emma looked up to Regina who was still staring at it whilst standing on the bed out of it's reach - then back down to it, then back up to Regina, then back down to it and repeat. After a few more times looking between the two Emma blinked and cracked up laughing herself.

"It's not funny Miss Swan! Kill it!" Regina ordered.

Emma ignored her and continued laughing.

"Miss Swan!"

Emma stopped wiped away her tears and looked up at Regina whose face held fear. "Yes your Majesty?" She mock bowed as she waited for Regina to speak.

"Kill the damn thing."

Emma looked down at the barely visible insect, then back up to Regina. "Regina it's barely the size of a dime. Besides what'd it do to you?"

"It's living and inside that's what it did."

Emma blinked a few times before asking seriously. "Your seriously scared of a spider? A tiny small itsy bitsy spider?"

"Miss Swan!" Regina calmed herself down and looked pleadingly at Emma, "Just kill it please."

Emma had never seen Regina look so vulnerable. So she quickly accepted picked up the nearest magazine, rolled it up and -

_Smack. Squish._

"It's dead Regina."

Regina stepped of the bed far away from the small corpse. Straightening out her shirt she looked up towards Emma. "Let's never speak about this again."

Emma nodded blinking blankly. "Yeah sure."

Regina made move to walk out of the room but turned back to Emma who was staring at the empty body of the insect. "Mis-Emma thank you."

Emma turned to Regina to find the woman gone and the door closed. Who knew that saving Regina from a tiny itsy bitsy spider would earn her a thank you. With that in mind for the next day she walked around head held high, chin up and cocky.

She had earned a thank you from the ex-Mayor, ex-Evil Queen. She had earned a thank you from Regina. Regina of all people and that was a memory she would never forget.

**XXX**

Emma had just finished helping Belinda pack the pinic basket when Regina entered with a laughing Alex or Regina Junior. A smile spread onto Emma's face as she watched Regina and Alex discuss something that was obviously funny.

"Hey you two." Belinda smiled at her daughter and the former Mayor. "I've got something for you Regina - well actually Emma has something for you." With a smile she placed some plastic knives and forks and plates inside the basket before closing it and placing a folded up blanket on top. "We both figured since it's your last night you should enjoy it how you want."

Regina blinked at Emma who was shuffling on her feet uncomfortable with the sudden attention. It had actually been Belinda's idea of the pinic and Emma had agreed having seen a rather nice view of the land and of the sky from her early travels with Felix when he had taken her out earlier that morning.

Pushing the basket into Emma's hand she waved the two women off. "Go on you two. Oh and Alex, Melissa is looking for you."

Regina followed Emma out of the farm house and towards the old rusty pick up truck. Emma placed the basket into the back of the truck and motioned for Regina to get inside before circling around the other side and slipping into the drivers seat.

Regina sat curiously awaiting for an explanation and when twenty minutes into the drive and none seemed to be forth coming Regina opened her mouth to ask. "Where are we going Miss Swan?"

"I was out with Felix this morning and he showed me a nice little spot that would be good for a picnic."

"Why are we going on a picnic?"

"Because someone decided to tell the Harvey's that we were together. A couple. Now who could that be?" Emma questioned looking around the interior of the pick up before her eyes rested on Regina. "Just go along with it they're very nice people and they thought they were doing us a favor. Plus the spot me Felix showed me is real nice. A spectacular view."

Regina consented and sat silently in the passenger seat for the rest of the drive, silently watching the passing scenery and herds of animals. She had always enjoyed the open land Fairytale Land. It had always been a magnificent view of perfection. It was beautiful and spectacular in many ways. It always seemed to hold a aurora of perfection no matter where you looked or what secrets it held. That's why she had built her Castle on the very edge of the forest. It wasn't only to protect her from the Charming's - it was a nice way to wake up to the view everyday. To see that even in a world that is wrought with wrong, and no-good deeds, there was still beauty left to behold.

"Were here," Emma shook Regina's shoulder slightly.

Regina turned to Emma and glanced down at her watch. She had been lost in thought for fifteen minutes and within that time they had arrived at a small pasture that was fenced of and then opened into a large open free land area that dropped down to overlook the scenery of woods and meadows below as a large stream ran through the meadows. It really did look similar to Fairytale Land.

Slipping out of the vehicle Emma retrieved the basket, locked the rusting tin machine once Regina had hopped out and started for the free land overlook. "It's up high enough to see the sky and yet it's not up high enough that you can't get a good view of what's below the drop."

Regina nodded and followed along behind the savior. They walked for a good ten minutes until Emma finally came to a stop and settled down onto the grass. Regina followed the actions as Emma pulled out the food and drinks and utensils.

"Could you set out the blanket?" Emma asked and Regina nodded setting out the checkered material as Emma set the food down on top of it. "I told her you liked apple pie so she made you one. I'm not sure if it is as good as yours and it definitely doesn't come poisoned so it's not deadly."

Regina shook her head. "Nor was mine. It was just meant to put you too sleep."

Emma rose her left brow and looked at Regina oddly. "Is that really any better?"

Regina ignored the question and set out to poor herself some coffee from the thermast that held the warm brown liquid. "Your right Miss Swan this is a lovely view." She nodded taking a sip of the warm liquid.

Emma nodded and picked up a sandwich taking a large bite of it before speaking. "Yeah Melissa told me that she and Alex come up here every now and then but I don't think Felix knows about it."

Regina nodded and continued sipping her coffee.

"Regina-" Emma took a deep breath lowering her sandwich to her lap she turned to the woman. "-what did you mean this morning yesterday when you said that 'fighting for what you love can be your undoing'?"

Regina snapped her head around to face Emma. "I just meant that...sometimes...things...just...have...a way of destroying your happiness."

"Your weren't talking about Alex and Melissa then were you and your not now are you?" Emma inquired.

"Miss Swan I'd rather not talk about it."

Emma looked down at her lap before speaking. "If you ever need to talk to anyone Regina I'm willing to listen. If we're going to be spending a lot of time together I just want you to know - anything absolutely anything you want to talk about -" she turned to face the woman once again. "-I'm willing to listen."

Regina stared at Emma intently with a blank expression on her face as she tried to decipher the other womans true intentions but she could see nothing but absolute honesty. Should she tell her? Was it a good idea to tell the daughter of the woman who had ruined her life? Was Emma doing this just to find a way to steal Henry from her for good? What would be the point she already had Henry. What more could she gain? _She could be in it just to hurt you. They always end up hurting you. The moment you let someone in they stab you in the back and twist the knife till the pain is nothing more then a dull burning ache from being in there for so long. _Regina shook her head. No Emma trusted her as somewhere inside herself she knew she trusted Emma.

"I was around Alex's age when I fell in love." Regina started looking out over the meadow below. "He was a stable hand just like Melissa. He barely earned enough to live for himself but he was the kindest, gentlest and nicest man I have ever met."

"Daniel?" Emma questioned earning a nod from Regina.

"My mother despised him she wanted me to marry a rich man. A king. A ruler. Anybody who was somebody. Anybody who wasn't Daniel. Who wasn't a stable boy."

"You wanted to marry Daniel?"

"I nearly did marry him but- I was betrayed by somebody I trusted and Daniel was murdered by my mother. His heart ripped out and crushed right in front of me and I was forced to marry the king." Regina shook her head. "I will never deny that he was a wonderful father but that is the only good I can ever say about him. That man was a monster beneath everything and I will never forgive him for the things he did to me."

Emma waited for Regina to continue but the woman didn't. Emma knew that wasn't all there was to the story but she wasn't about to push when she had gotten Regina to open up this much. Instead Emma turned back to the basket and retrieved a small camera, a pen and the journal that held Regina's Bucket List.

Holding them out to the former Mayor she nodded to the journal and the camera. "I thought this memory would be better then a picture of a hand up a cows behind or me hurling."

Regina laughed having remembered secretly taking the photo without Emma knowing. "Very well Miss Swan." Regina scooted over beside Emma and wound her arm around the womans waist holding out her hand to extend the camera and catch a photo of the two of them.

Both smiled warmly at the camera as the flash encompassed the area for a brief second, capturing those moments that could never be repeated again. Capturing the few brief seconds of innocence. Of tree's howling in the background. Of the meadow swaying. Of the animals grazing. Of the stars above starting to twinkle.

Regina grabbed her pen opened her journal and ticked of number 32 - Learn the basics of working a farm and number 47 - milk a cow.

"So what are we doing next?" Emma asked.

"We're headed to Cedar Point."

Emma's sandwich paused half way to her mouth. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Oh boy she had a feeling she was going to find out one way or another.

**Finally finished this chapter did take a more serious turn it was all for a good reason. As someone pointed out in my reviews this story isn't just random - okay it is random but it also has a point to it. It's a story about self discovery for Regina and in some way for Emma too. Emma will need to be there for Regina throughout this story and vice versa so some chapters will be like this. I hope you enjoyed either way.**


	6. Cedar Point

**Okay I know it's been over a week since my last update but my computer crashed and I had 11000 words on the original chapter of this and I had 5000 for 'I'll Cover You' but I had to restart all chapter when it crashed. So here the update is. I'd like to give a special shout out to (polybi) for another special review. Also to answer (JPElles) question - yes there will be parts of Emma's past in future chapters and Regina will have to be the one their for Emma. I'd also like to give a shout out to a few of my friend who have joined and plan on writing stories for OUaT (SwanQueen) sometime this week (3raserAuthor, JealousyLooksGoodOnYou and LovesNotMyThing). As for my followers and favoriters - thank you guys so much and I hope you continue to read this story. Anyway enjoy and if you want to contact me in anyway there is a load of different ways on my profile including - Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr (New to it) so please feel free too.**

**XXX**

Emma looked between the in car radio and Regina. Her hand twitching. She could just reach between the seats hit the next button and the song would be over. Her torture would be over. The pain from ears due to such terrible music would finally ease.

Regina spotted Emma in the corner of her eye eyeing the radio. She hated the song possibly more than the blonde woman next to her did but it was worth the pain if it meant driving Emma Swan, Savior of all Fairytale character, the White Knight, birth mother of Henry - Henry. _I wonder how Henry is doing? Wonder if her misses me? Wonder if he misses Emma? Wonder if he thinks I've killed her yet? Actually I'm quite surprised I haven't yet. Where would I dump the body. Well I will be heading to Vegas shortly. Nevada desert is pretty bi-_

"Regina!" Emma reached over towards the off button only to have her hand intercepted and slapped.

"Miss Swan what have I told you about touching my stereo system?"

_Giggle. Snort. Giggle._

"Ssh they'll hear us."

Regina looked towards Emma who was already staring back at her curiously. She slowed the car pulling over to the side of the room before stopping it altogether. One more look at Emma and they both looked towards the back of the Hummer that served as a trunk.

"Oh we heard you." Emma spoke first finally deciding to break the silence.

"If we come out are we in trouble?" A small voice sounding fearful replied.

"Your in trouble whether you stay were you are or not," Regina answered whilst Emma nodded.

One mess of blonde hair popped out from behind the back seat followed by a mess of brunette hair. Two innocent smiles. Two innocent eyes. Two cautiously waving hands.

"Hi."

"Hey."

"What are you doing in my Hummer?" Regina asked calmly.

"Our Hummer." Emma corrected.

"My Hummer Miss Swan and not now." Regina corrected more forcefully.

Alex and Melissa rolled their eyes. They'd had been lying down in the back of the car underneath most of the bags and - some really shady equipment for the good part of 3 hours listening to Regina and Emma go back and forfth arguing like an old married couple. It was funny at first but then it got aggrivating and annoying and then it got funny again.

"Where running away." Melissa spoke up with a smile that quickly turned to a grimace when a hand connected with the back of her head.

"Why tell them that." Alex shook her head and turned to face Regina. "Sorry sometimes she slow on the uptake."

"I know what you mean," Regina mumble and looked towards Emma who wore a dopey smile. Turning back to Alex with a shake of her head she inquired further. "Why are you running away?"

"Dad refuses to allow me to see Melissa."

"So your running away?" Emma asked just to make sure.

"Precisely."

"Why are you using my Hummer to run away?"

"Our Hummer."

"Miss Swan I'm warning you." Regina growled out, eyes blazing.

"Well you guys were so nice so we thought we'd hitch a ride to wherever your going. Where are you guys going? Las Vegas? California? I could become an actress. Texas? Tennesse? Melissa could pull of cow girl, I reckon I could too. Oooh, oooh New York? I could become a buisness tycoon whilst Melissa would want to be a police officer. Maybe DC, I could become a Politician and Melissa once again a Law Enforcement Agent."

"Alex!" Emma yelled stopping the girls ranting.

"And she says I'm bad," Melissa rolled her eyes.

"Hey," Alex crossed her arms sounding offended.

"Miss Swan it doesn't matter we're taking them back to the farm." Regina turned the key starting the Hummer back up.

"It's three hours," Emma groaned spinning in her seat, "Not to mention in the opposite direction." Emma stated with a whine.

"Miss Swan I will not be held accountable for kidnapping."

"Really?" Emma sarcastically sounded surprised with a large gasp, "That's not on your list?"

"Okay I'm confused are you two together or not?"

"No."

"Never."

Emma looked toward Regina, "Never?"

"Yes Miss Swan never ever, ever would I date someone like you."

"Like me?" Emma eyes squinted before she threw her hands into the air making them collide with the roof of the vehicle. "I wasn't the one who wanted to stick their hand up a cows ass. I wasn't the one who wanted to break in and crash a party. Have you even read your list? Some of that stuff is for seriously messed up people. Some are for suicidal people with death wishes."

"Is that your way of saying you'd want to date me?" Regina asked calmly with a perfectly raised eyebrow.

Emma stopped her rant and looked Regina square in the eye. She honestly had no idea why she felt hurt by the fact that Regina seemed so adamant about the fact that she would never date her. She knew that even if she wanted to Regina was so far out of her league it just wasn't funny.

Turning towards the group Emma ignored Regina's question. "You guys can come with us and we'll stick you on a bus back."

"Miss Swan they are not coming with us to Ohio."

Alex nodded, "Ohio's good. What's in Ohio?"

"Cedar Point," Emma answered.

"Amusement Park?" Melissa asked eyes swirling with excitement.

"Yes."

"Awesome," Melissa grinned, "You know buses usually take a day before we can get the next one. You know the whole no seats left. We have to be in advance. So I guess we'll be spending the day in Cedar Point with you ladies."

"Not happening." Regina shook her head.

"Regina come on. Where's the harm. Just two girls who want to get away for a little while. I say we should take them. Spend a day or two at Cedar Point and then take them back home." Emma looked towards Regina searching the brown eyes for any sign of conceding.

Regina sighed. "Very well. Get in the back and belt up."

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

Alex and Melissa lauched themselves into the back seat yanking their seat belts down and clicking them into place to secure themselves.

"Try not to damage my Hummer girls." Regina spoke exasperated as she shifted the gear and pushed down on the accelerator continuing their journey to Cedar Point. She was finally content in the silence until a few minutes later she heard Emma speak up.

"Our Hummer."

**XXX**

Miss Swan behave." Regina chided Emma who was bouncing up and down in the que.

"But Regina I really, really have to go. Like seriously bladder exploding have to go." Emma bounced a few more times crossing her legs to hold it in.

"I told you to go before we left the cabin and you said you didn't need to."

"But I didn't then," Emma whined. "Please. Let me take the Hummer back to the cabin. I'm busting."

"Miss Swan we are almost in can't you hold it for a few minutes?"

"God Regina my kidney's feel like their about to bust."

Regina rolled her eyes as the attendant called them up to the small booth.

"How many?"

"4 people fast lane." Regina answered looking back towards Emma who was still bouncing and she quickly wondered whether she could get a child's price for the woman. Her line of sight went to Alex and Melissa who were busy skimming through Emma's Iphone looking over each and every one of the rides deciding which they should go on first.

Regina payed and took the wrist bands before making their way into the park, laughing internally when Emma took off towards the first restroom in sight. The woman's legs carrying her as fast as possible.

A few minutes later Emma returned a look of pure bliss on her face. She swore if she had of been waiting another few minutes there would have been a puddle underneath her. God it felt good to be relieved. "So where too first?"

"I say we do something slow to get ourselves into it before doing something high octane." Melissa suggested earning a nod from Regina.

"I say we jump into it. I reckon we should do the Millenium Force."

"Cedar Creek Mine Ride." Melissa suggested. "It says High Thrill so you'll get some action out of it. It's a good place to start."

"I say why take things slow. Why not jump into it?" Alex countered.

"I concur." Regina nodded.

Emma shook her head, "I think we should start slow and work our way up to the fast stuff."

"All hands in favor of jumping into high gear straight away?" Alex asked raising her hand along with Regina. "It's settled then. We go the highway or no way."

"Wait what?" Melissa questioned scrunching her brow up, "That's two against two. Why do you guys win?"

"Because it's her Hummer and unless you want to walk I suggest just going along with it." Alex smirked along with Regina.

Emma looked between the two brunettes. It was strange. It was like Regina and Regina Junior standing in front of her. They both wore the smirks so well that they looked like the Cheshire cat from Alice In Wonderland. Mischievous. Who knew Regina was mischievous? With a sigh Emma and Melissa agreed and followed along behind the two brunettes who were busy pointing out their list of rides to do during the day.

**XXX**

If their was one thing Emma hated more than anything it was heights. She loathed heights anything to do with heights actually and looking up now she had a feeling Regina knew this. "Uh Regina this is high - like really high."

Regina's smirk returned. "I know dear. It's not called a roller coaster for nothing. High and fast."

"An aggressive thrill," Alex stated from in front of them. "It has a 94 meter peek and a 91 meter drop."

Emma gulped. Looking at it was bad enough but hearing the height was worse. She really didn't need to know how far she would fall before her death. Maybe she should stop watching Final Destination 3 it wasn't doing any good for her nerves.

"Problem Miss Swan," Regina asked coyly.

Emma shook her head. "Nope none at all." Emma gulped again.

"A speed of 93mph." Alex whistled loudly impressed with the speed.

It was Melissa's turn to gulp which was quickly echoed by Emma as the attendant waved the group in from the Fast Lane. "I don't suppose now would be a good time to admit I have a fear of heights?"

"Ditto." Emma spoke up jumping into the very backseat of the train car next to Regina, Alex and Melissa jumping in front of them.

"Just close your eyes. It'll be over before you know it. Just feel the wind in your hair."

"Miss Swan there is only a 1 in 300 million chance of dying on a roller coaster. You have a higher chance of dying just crossing the street."

"But what if we are the 1 in 300?" Melissa questioned as the train carts pulled away.

Regina and the others were quite for a few seconds pondering over that thought before eventually she spoke up. "Well it's too late to consider that now."

Alex nodded, "Just enjoy the ride." She took hold of Melissa's hand squeezing it, offering any bit of comfort she could.

Emma hated appearing weak especially in front of Regina but at this moment she was starting to perspire and her breathing was coming out ragged, her heart pounding against her rib cage, she couldn't help it her body was betraying her, her body was feeling the fear. It wasn't all in her head. Her heart rate calmed considerably when a hand fell on top of hers and intertwined with her fingers. She glanced down at it and ran her eyes over the lean arm to the occupant it belonged too. She wasn't looking at her but Emma knew Regina knew what she was doing - a small squeeze from the hand on top of hers proved her correct. The last thing Emma remembered as the train car reached it's peak was the comfort in the brown eyes now looking her way.

**XXX  
**  
They slipped onto four more roller coasters before deciding they'd finish the rest later on and instead jump on a different ride one of Emma's and Melissa's choosings. One that didn't include food. It wasn't even mid day and both blondes had been complaining about being hungry and Regina and Alex had spent the good part of twenty minutes arguing with the two ladies.

"How about Challenge Racing?" Emma pointed to the little picture on the phone.

"You want to go Go Kart racing?" Regina inquired whilst Regina Junior stood next to the older brunette looking just as curiously at the two blondes.

"What's wrong Regina afraid I'll beat you and prove I'm the better driver?"

Emma should have known that challenging Regina meant that she was about to learn a very valuable lesson as Regina climbed into the red Go Kart. Emma climbed into the white Go Kart. Alex jumped in the black and Melissa jumped into the blue. Buckled in Emma spotted the determined smirk and look in the eyes of the woman beside her. They were lined up in lines of four by rows of five, herself and Regina in the front line, Alex in the fourth line and Melissa in second.

Some part of Emma knew she had declared war on Regina's driving abilities but how much better at driving could Regina really be after all she had come from a fairytale land that only had horses, carriages and possibly donkey's and Emma had grown up in a world with cars, not to mention she was Sheriff and had extensive driving abilities through her previous job before Storybrooke - how hard could it possibly be to beat the former Mayor of Storybrooke and former Evil Queen. How hard could it be to beat Regina?

The light flicked green and the karts were off Regina in front Emma close behind her. They were closing in on the first corner. Emma swung wide as she rounded the corner coming up beside Regina. Emma felt the steering wheel jerk in her hand as her kart was knocked to the side running smack into the tire barricade. Turning towards Regina she found the woman yanking the wheel in her direction forcing her kart into her own. _So she wants to play rough huh? _Emma slammed back forcing her own kart of the tire barricade and knocking Regina's forward over the line and onto the grass, Emma held up her hand and gave a small wave as she passed Regina.

Regina's car slowed slightly before she spun back onto the grass pressing harder on the accelerator to force the small vehicle up behind Emma's ramming the white one in front of her.

Emma jolted forward spinning slightly in her seat she spotted Regina and a small wave from the woman. Emma soon found herself once again beside Regina this time on opposite sides from before and with Regina on the side of the barricade Emma took her chance to force Regina's car into the barricade with a loud bang.

Regina watched as Emma pulled away from her car and the barricade _she's going to ram again _Regina watched as Emma yanked the wheel to once again ram her car into the barricade. Quick thinking Regina slammed on her breaks forcing the car to a dramatic halt and forcing Emma's own car into the tire barricade. Stepping on the accelerator she was propelled forward and past Emma who was a little in shock at the Fast and the Furious move.

_Where the fuck did Regina learn to drive? _Emma shook her head and pushed forward chasing after the red kart that was already rounding another corner and ready to pass over the finish line and onto the final lap. _When had they completed the last two laps? Had they really spent it ramming each other?_ Either way Emma wasn't about to let Regina win.

Regina found herself scott free as she passed over the finish line and started on the final lap of the circuit. When she looked back to find Emma gaining on her. The damn woman was infuriating who knew the blonde was actually good at driving after all that run down yellow bug couldn't do her justice.

Emma was prepared for her final assault. She had one option left. One maneuver left in her bag of tricks. They both rounded three then four corners and on the final home stretch Emma slid up besides Regina's kart rammed into the back corner of the small red vehicle causing it to lose control and spin. Perfect pitt maneuver. A cocky smirk thrown over her shoulder as she turned back to the finish line only a small distance up ahead.

Regina instead of slamming on her breaks released the accelerator slowing the car down just enough for her to gain control of steering once again. With her own smirk she yanked the steering wheel spinning the car in the right direction before hitting the accelerator once again and pushing forward at a lightening speed.

Emma soon found herself side by side once again with Regina _fucking hell what'd she do go to ninja driving school? _Emma found herself in a race to the finish line with Regina side by side nose equal to nose. Ten meters. Eight. Five. Thre- the small kart sputtered and smoked before stopping just before the finish line. Emma turned to Regina to find the older womans kart in the exact same broken down position as her own.

"Whooo!"

"Hell yes!"

"Thirrddd!"

Emma and Regina watched as car after car zoomed past them.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Emma unbuckled stood up and jumped out of the kart rounding the back of it and giving it a kick for good measure. "You stupid piece of junk."

"Miss Swan really? Beating up a kart?" Regina looked at Emma pointedly. "There kart is hardly to blame for your poor driving now is it." Regina stepped up to Emma, "Let's face it we both know who would have won."

Emma looked towards the line about a two or three meters at most before turning back to Regina finding the other woman turning to look back at her. It seems they were both having the same thought. Well they do say great minds think alike.

"Hey Regina, Emma what's next on the list?" Alex inquired with Melissa trailing up behind her.

Emma dove forward towards the line only to be tackled into the hard circuit race track ground, Regina on top of her crawling up over her towards the line. Emma took hold of Regina's ankle and yanked pulling the woman back as she tried scrambling towards the line.

"Ladies!" The attendant scream.

Alex leant back against the que poles, Melissa following along as they both stared at the supposed to be mature - adult women. "Here we go again."

"It's mine!" Emma called climbing over the top of Regina standing up and diving towards the finish line only to be tackled over by a determined Regina. Emma landed with a smack Regina on top of her. She opened her eyes to find herself face to face with Regina who sat up straddling the womans waist.

"I touched the ground first my hands touched it first."

Emma brain kicked back into gear as she shook her head, "No way my back collided with it."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"You want to walk?"

Emma shut her mouth.

**XXX**

Emma shoved a mouthful of cotton candy into her mouth as Melissa grabbed a second handful. Regina and Alex had both given in when the complaining had reached whining levels of extreme

"Want some?" Emma offered over a mouthful of blue cotton candy.

Regina and Alex both shook their heads watching with scrunched up faces as the two blonde's ordered a second cotton candy. _How does she eat so much yet remain so thin? _Regina shook her head. It was best not to go there it would only lead to a smug look from the infuriating woman.

"How about while were waiting for them we jump on the Sky Scraper? Last I saw there was no line." Alex questioned the older brunette.

"Hey what about us?" Melissa asked.

"Sixteen stories high babe," Alex stated and watched as the color drained from the younger blonde's face.

"You two go ahead."

Alex chuckled under her breath at that before turning to Emma. "You want to come?"

Emma shook her head. "Nah I think I'll sit this one out and let you ladies have a moment to yourselves."

Regina arched her eyebrow curiously at Emma. She thought for a second about teasing the woman about her fear of heights but instead looked away and squashed down the craving to do so. "Very well Miss Swan. Are you ready Alex?"

"Yes." Alex nodded and stood with Regina, "We'll be back in a second be good you two."

"Yes Miss Swan try not to get into to much trouble."

"I think I can go without your supervision Regina. I'm no child." Emma scoffed a little hurt that Regina didn't trust her.

Regina gave Emma a look of disbelief. If there was one thing she knew about the blonde was the antics and child like behaviour she had. Somethings the blonde got up to even Henry knew were wrong or was stupid behaviour. With a sigh she conceded and walked off with Alex beside her.

They wove between the crowds making their way over to the sixteen story high ride in the distance. Regina looked over towards the younger brunette who had been silent since leaving the table. She looked deep in thought and Regina took this opportunity she had alone with the young girl to speak to her.

"You know after were done here I have to take you home?"

Alex looked up at Regina, "I know."

"Your Dad is only looking out for you."

"I know that's what parents do."

Regina looked away from Alex and into the crowd before answering. "Sometimes they believe they know what's best for you. But the only person that knows what best is you yourself."

"Their trying to give me a good life. Why can't love be enough?"

Regina found herself looking into the eyes of a young seventeen year old who was staring at her like she should have all the answers to all the questions. "Love is-" _Weakness? Heartbreaking? Painful? Loss? What was love? She had never truly gotten to find out? _Regina settled for the truth "I don't know. I honestly don't know. You know there was once a little girl who fell in love with a stable hand."

"Let me guess the parents didn't want her to be with him?" Alex inquired.

"No the mother wanted the girl to be rich but the girl just wanted to be with the boy, so they planned to run away together."

Alex crinkled her brow, "Planned?"

"Yes planned."

"What happened?"

"Life. Life happened. It kept them apart."

"They never got their happily ever after? Are you telling me love is a waste of time?"

Regina shook her head. "No I'm not saying that all I'm saying is...love...it can hurt and hurt badly. Sometimes you have to ask yourself is it worth falling in love again? There's no such thing as true love, no such thing as happy endings so you have to ask yourself is it worth spending your life searching for such things? When all it does is lead you to trouble. When all it does is cause you to make mistakes. Unforgiveable mistakes."

Alex pondered this for a moment. "I believe so yes. If not then what is your life worth living for. Searching for love keeps human beings grounded." She jumped into the small que with Regina.

"Sometimes being grounded is a bad thing. Sometimes it's the epitome of destruction." _I would know. What good can come of love? Love is destructive. _

"Perhaps but isn't it worth trying? Isn't it worth giving a chance?" Alex asked with such innocence that had Regina pondering as they climbed into their seats and buckled in safely.

"Love causes nothing but trouble." Regina mumbled as the ride kicked into gear.

**XXX**

"That was awesome!" Alex exclaimned

Regina nodded, "We should get back before they get up t-"

"Hey stop!"

Regina and Alex watched as two blondes rushed past the que with security guards hot on their tails. It was like a blur to their eyes as the bodies zipped past weaving in and out of the crowds.

"Why did we leave them alone again?" Alex asked.

With a sigh Regina and Alex took off after their counter part blondes. Trailing up behind the security guards who were hot on the tails of such blondes. They wove between grounds and bins, chairs, and small food stalls jumping fences and any other obstacles in their way eventually Regina and Alex caught up to the blondes who had lost the security a small while ago.

"Miss Swan!"

"Maybe we should keep running." Emma stated before turning to the brunette who looked somewhat exhausted.

"Play it cool maybe they didn't see us." Melissa countered.

Emma nodded, "Hey Regina we were just looking for you two."

"Why was Cedar security force after you two?" Alex was the one too question.

"Umm..."

"...We're just that awesome." Emma said smugly but the glare eminating from Regina wiped it away just as quickly.

Stepping up to Emma, Regina looked the younger woman dead in the eye. "Miss Swan I'd suggest you start running."

"Why?" Melissa asked curiously.

"Don't question just run!" Emma screamed pivoting and taking off with a furious brunette following behind her.

Melissa turned to Alex, "Just who are the adults here?"

Alex smirked, "If I were you I'd heed Regina's advice and start running."

Melissa gulped and took off in the same direction as Emma and Regina whilst a younger brunette trailed behind her hot on her heels.

**XXX**

**Fifteen Minutes Earlier**

"Come on!" Emma jumped up trying to peer over the security guards head. There were two people in front of her and one Jelly donut left. _That donuts mine. _Emma took a step forward as the last person in front of her a large Cedar Security Guard stepped up to the display case and counter.

"I'll take four normal donuts and that Jelly donut."

Emma's face contorted. There was no way in hell this was happening to her. She watched as the last Jelly donut was placed in a bag and handed over in exchange for money. This was so not happening to her. She yanked Melissa out of the line.

"Hey I wanted a donut!" Melissa looked sadly back at the chocolate sprinkled donut.

"Oh we'll get a donut." Emma glared at the Secuirty Guard who walked away. She was going to get that donut at all costs. "That donuts mine. Mine." Emma declared to herself and she dragged a sullen Melissa along with her as she followed after the guard.

Ten minutes of walking lead them too a security booth. The bag of donuts were placed near a small open window as the guard answered the radio. A few minutes later he sat down and rummaged around through the bag pulling out the jelly donut just before his teeth sank into it he found his hand donutless.

"Run!" Emma declared donut in hand.

Looking around he found two sprinting blondes taking of throughout the park. _What the fuck? _He jumped to his feet and took off after them.

"Hey stop!"

**XXX**

**Attempt #1 (Hole 1)****  
**They had jumped on Witches Wheel which left Regina and Alex dizzy, they had done Power Tower and WindSeeker which had left Emma and Melissa without color. For most of the rest of the day they had used the water theme's to cool themselves of and enjoy something that didn't require much height the one thing the two blondes were greatful for.

Currently Regina was standing next to Emma waiting for the younger woman to take her first swing. Alex and Melissa were at a different hole having already moved ahead quickly and easily. "Miss Swan hurry up we haven't got all day," Regina said exasperatingly.

"This takes time and patience."

"Something you lack both of," Regina mumbled as she watched Emma take her first swing. Regina and Emma watched the golf club soar through the air.

"Ouch!"

Regina gave Emma a small nudge pushing the woman forward, "Just walk." Quickly and hopefully without drawing to much attention to themselves.

**Attempt #2 (Hole 5)  
**"Miss Swan do hurry," Regina leaned against her golf club and looked out to find Melissa laughing as Alex furiously swung the golf club at the ball missing consecutively.

Emma swung the club this time gripping the club as if her life depended on it. The ball sailed through the air and Emma gulped as she heard the crash of a window and a loud 'What the Fuck!'

"Keep walking," Regina pushed on.

**Attempt #3 (Hole 9)  
**"Miss Swan maybe it's best if I go first." Regina pointed out while Emma continued to stare at the hole with determination.

"No I've got this," Emma nodded positioned herself next to the golf ball lifted the golf club and spun spinning her body in a circle missing the ball altogether.

Regina sighed.

**Attempt #4 (Hole 11)  
**"Miss Swan I would very much like a turn."

"Babe give me a second I've got it," Emma swung forward and landed flat on her face.

Regina broke into hysterics from behind her.

**Attempt #15 (Hole 16)  
**Regina sighed impatiently. This was trying her patience something she believed she had a lot of but knew Miss Swan had been trying it the moment she stepped into Storybrooke and it seemed even outside of Storybrooke the woman knew how to try her patience.

"Miss Swan just hit the ball."

Emma positioned herself next to the ball squared her shoulders and swung. The club remained locked in her hands. The ball didn't sail it rolled towards the entrance. Regina gave the ball a pointed look and summoned what amount of magic she could get away with in the Savior's presence causing the ball to curve and fall into the hole - scoring Emma her first hole since entering the Challenge Golf park.

"I did it! I did it!" Emma jumped up and down before turning to Regina and pulling her into a rather strong bear hug. Pulling back Emma took off to tell Melissa and Alex that she had made her first hole in one leaving Regina smiling warmly at the blondes excitement at such small things.

**XXX**

It was closing in on Cedar Point closing time. They had literally spent from opening to closing time doing nothing but riding, eating and riding even more. They had to have been on nearly every ride apart from the Ferris Wheel they were currently standing in front of waiting for their turn.

"It'll be nice to do something simple and not high octane." Melissa commented.

"That's only because you screamed like a girl on MaXair."

Melissa wrapped her arm around Alex's shoulders, "I am a girl babe."

"Yes one who I remember one day telling me she was scared of nothing." Alex countered.

"I do have to wonder how one makes Sheriff while screaming 'Stop' or 'Let me off this thing'." Regina teased.

"It's all my looks. Let's face it, it was the only reason you allowed me to stay on as Sheriff." Emma said smugly, "You could have forced them to make Sidney Sheriff but you didn't."

"I do believe in Public Decision. The Public believed they made the right choice although I would have to question their judgement." Regina thought seriously.

Alex nudged Melissa and whispered, "I'm sure that's the only reason she allowed the public to choose." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively before cracking up into laughter along with Melissa earning weird looks from the two adults.

"Just the four of you?" The man asked.

"Yep," Emma answered.

"First seat it's for four," He nodded to a blue collared Ferris Wheel stall.

Emma stepped up first, held open the Ferris Wheel door and waited for Regina, Alex and Melissa to climb in before jumping in herself. The attendant shutting and locking the door before continuing onto the next stall.

A few minutes later and the Ferris Wheel jerked to signal the ride starting. It lifted and the higher they got the more surprised Emma found herself, when she found herself having no trouble with the height. Across from them Melissa re-wrapped her arm around Alex shoulders and Alex tiredly fell into the embrace leaning her head against the young blondes shoulder staring out over the water and the lights.

Emma turned towards Regina, "Hey."

Regina looked tiredly towards Emma. "Yes Miss Swan."

"I brought the camera. I figured once we get to the top we could take a picture." Emma suggested.

Regina smiled. Nodded and slid over towards Emma who was already pulling out the small device. Regina turned towards the two girls, "Ladies care to join us?"

Alex and Melissa slid over towards Regina and Emma as the group positioned themselves. Emma and Melissa on the outside and Regina and Alex on the inside. Emma held the camera slid her finger over the button raised her other hand to do bunny ears above Regina's head as the flash encompassed the small Ferris Wheel stall and in that moment Emma knew that with Regina she could conquer any fear - anything that got in her way as long as she had the brunette with her.

**XXX**

Regina pulled the Hummer up the dirt driveway once again. Two occupants burst out of the house, Mrs. Harvey with tears streaming down her face and Mr. Harvey with a look of worry spread on hers.

"Thanks for the letting us spend time with you guys and just get away," Melissa gave a warm smile at the two women giving each a brief shake of the hand.

"Your more then welcome dear," Regina smiled warmly as Emma and Melissa made their way over to the Harvey's. Regina grabbed Alex's wrist pulling the young girl back. "Could you wait just a second?"

"Sure what's up?" Alex asked curiously.

"I wanted to tell you that if you are going to continue to fight for Melissa you have to realise that this may end in pain. That it may not end in the fantasy way your thinking. I just want you to be sure you know what you will be getting yourself into."

Alex looked back over her shoulder and Melissa who was being embraced by her parents with surprising ferocity. Turning back to Regina she answered with the one thing she was absolutely positive about at that one time. "Perhaps that little girl from the story is getting her second chance. That girl shouldn't waste it hiding behind 'What ifs' and past experiences. Perhaps this is another chance to do it right."

Regina looked over the brunettes should towards the blonde who was shaking hands and being embraced by Alex's parents who were more than likely thanking her for bringing back their daughter and their stablehand. "Even so love is sometimes...unattainable, it could bring nothing pain."

"Perhaps that girl should stop making excuses as well. Things are only unattainable if you continue to ignore the possibility of attaining it." With that Alex gave Regina a small hug before making her way towards her parents earning a rub of the head from Emma as the blonde walked passed her.

Regina stood and blinked a few times as Emma stepped up in front of her.

"They over thanked us and offered to allow us to stay the night for bringing them back but I told them you wanted to hit the road to be wherever you need to be next." Emma looked at Regina's blank form, "You okay?" She asked tentively.

Regina snapped out of her reverie and turned to the blonde _was it really that simple to attain something? Did she even feel something for the blonde? For the Savior? For the woman supposed to destroy her? For the woman that was the daughter of the woman who had made her question whether love was worth attaining? _"I'm fine Miss Swan."

Emma let it slide for now. She was tired as it was and she knew how Regina clammed up if pressed for more. So she'd wait for Regina to come to her with whatever it was. _Would she come to me? _"Well let's hit the road then." Emma moved to round the vehicle to the passenger side but was stopped from proceeding.

"Miss Swan," Withdrawing the keys from her bag she threw them towards Emma who caught them with surprise, "I'm still a little tired from yesterday and I assume you won't destroy my Hummer."

Emma shook her head, "No I'll be careful."

Regina nodded and rounded to the passenger seat as Emma climbed in the driver seat. Perhaps she didn't understand her feelings for the blonde. Perhaps things were complicated but this trip - this Bucket List was about accomplishing things and one thing in particular stood out with her. She needed to re-learn how to trust. "I trust you with our Hummer Miss Swan."

**XXX**

"So how long did the tow truck man say he'll be?" Emma asked innocently.

Regina placed her phone between the seat of the Hummer and glared up at Emma. No more than an hour into the trip and Emma had managed to put her Hummer into a ditch. God she was going to kill the woman. She swore she was going to kill the woman. The nearest tow truck driver was hours away from their spot and wouldn't reach them for a while. "Miss Swan just stop talking and give me the keys."

"I swear it wasn't my fault Regina," Emma grimaced when the glare was pointed her way once again.

"Miss Swan there hasn't been a car seen since we left." Regina snatched the keys away from Emma, slipped out of her shoes, opened the door and clambered up and onto the hood of the Hummer. She waited a few seconds hearing the driver door doing the same as the blonde clambered up next to her.

"I really am sorry."

"I know Miss Swan," Regina sighed before turning to smile at Emma.

"I brought a blanket." She waited for Regina to wave her over closer before sliding up next to Regina and throwing the blanket over the both of them. It was nearing seven o'clock and the stars were just starting to come out. Turning to look at Regina she smiled.

"Miss Swan this does not mean I forgive you for crashing my Hummer."

Emma sighed. It was back to 'My' again. Well least she got to feelt what it was like to be in the drivers seat and even though it ended terribly it was worth everything since she scored an actual smile from Regina. "Our Hummer." Emma countered with a smirk.

"Miss Swan it is my Hummer and we will not be arguing over that." As she said that she pulled out the journal from her inner coat pocket flicked through a few of the pages and ticked of number 37 'Go to Cedar Point'.

**Okay hopefully it was good enough. I do have a plan for the next chapter and if my computer behaves it will be up in the next week definitely before the next episode of Once Upon A Time - that's if my computer behaves. Hopefully you enjoyed.**


	7. Not Such A Good Idea

**Okay not as much seriousness in this chapter cause' I hope to get back to the halarity which I hope I did. Thanks to my reviewers especially someone called Just-Jess who wrote me a rather lovely review so thank you whoever you are. To all my followers and favoriters thank you guys as well and to all the guests who continue to come back and read thank you as well. Hope everyone enjoys and hopefully you find it funny cause I did reading it.**

**XXX**

"So I guess this means we'll have to put a hold on the Bucket List until the Hummer is out of the garage." Emma stated, "I guess that means a whole 48 hours of doing absolutely nothing but eating, eating and oh more eating." Emma smiled. She really was in heaven.

"Not exactly Miss Swan."

Emma sighed. Well there went that at the window. She checked her watch and noticed it was a new record for Regina crushing her dreams. "Point three five zero of a second." She mumbled.

"What?" Regina asked not catching what Emma had said.

"Nothing." Emma reached over too the journal that Regina was flicking through as they walked down along the footpath of the small town. "So what are we doing?"

Regina pulled away from Emma as she weaved in between some citizens. "Well apparently they have sail boats for hire here."

"Still not getting the connection here. You want to sail in a sail boat?" Emma asked with one eyebrow raised as she pulled Regina back by the womans jacket as a group of teenagers in a car barely missed her whilst whistling loudly out their car window at the brunette.

"Thank you Miss Swan and no I don't. I want to learn to sail."

Emma blinked a few times. She wasn't sure what was more disbelieving. Regina saying 'thank you' to her or wanting to learn to sail. Emma swallowed and decided not to focus on the former in case the woman took it back and remained in a terrible mood all day, instead focused on the latter, "You want to learn to sail?"

"Number 52, Learn To Sail." Regina handed the journal over to Emma.

Emma glanced down at the page taking in the title before looking at Regina. "Why hiring a boat and not getting proper lessons?"

"Because Miss Swan we are perfectly capable if we put both our minds together to figure out how to get a boat to move." Regina sounded confident.

Emma cringed she didn't want to let the brunette down but her brain didn't work mechanics of sailing. God she had a hard enough time doing her job as savior, looking after their son and working as Sheriff. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"Miss Swan are you saying your not capable of learning to sail a sail boat?" Regina raised both eyebrows.

Emma grimaced this time. She hated to admit it but she didn't think she was and she didn't want to make a fool out of herself in front of Regina. "I just think it'd be smarter to get lessons first."

Regina sighed but aquiesced, "Very well Miss Swan."

**XXX**

"I don't understand what made you change your mind Miss Swan?" Regina inquired as she stepped onto the sail boat they had hired for the afternoon. "Usually when your set on something you don't change your mind."

_I wouldn't have either if that guy hadn't been looking at your ass for the past twenty minutes and then when he turned to face you he couldn't help but ogle you - god woman try wearing more appropriate clothes that don't allow men too look at you like your a piece of meat. _"Let it go Regina." Emma growled out. She was beyond furious at the horny old man that was to teach them to sail. Oh hell no she was not allowing that man within forty feet of Regina.

"Very well Miss Swan," Regina conceded and turned to the young teenage boat attendant. "Thank you."

"No problem ma'am," he said dreamily as Regina started to get in the boat. "Here let me help you." He moved to help Regina into the boat but was pushed away.

Emma jumped into the boat first and held out a hand for Regina which surprisingly the brunette took without a word. Once Regina was safely in the boat and starting to strap on the life vests Emma turned back to the pimple faced teenage boy who was leering at Regina as if it were possible he'd ever end up doing anything with her, as if his dreams had all come true, as if she was the most beautiful sexy woman he'd ever seen - _that last part had to be true_ Emma thought to herself. Rolling her eyes Emma snapped her fingers in front of the young teens face breaking him away from his captivation. Handing him over a few dollar notes as she shook her head she said, "Too old for you buddy. Go grab a soda." With a pat on the back she turned and left the disappointed boy behind.

Five minutes later and both Regina and Emma were strapped into a life vest. No hormonal teenage boys in sight and ready to start their preparations to set sail.

"Well let's get these sails raised."

Emma nodded. "I feel like Jack Sparrow right now."

"Really Miss Swan. Jack Sparrow?"

Emma blinked. "You know who Jack Sparrow is?"

"Miss Swan I'm not that old or that anal retentive that I don't know who Jack Sparrow is."

Emma shook her head with a small grin. "Never said you were but now we're on the subject how old are you exactly?"

Regina glared at the blonde, "You should know never to ask a woman her age."

Emma squinted curiously in the harsh sun. "Is that your way of telling me your really old? Because your really hot for an old lady." Emma froze upon realizing what she had just said, she didn't know which she'd be more in trouble for the 'hot' or the 'old' but she was awaiting the shit storm she knew was going to come.

"Miss Swan perhaps it's best you think before you speak."

Emma scoffed, "Yeah well try telling my mouth that. Sometimes my brain and mouth don't connect as well and my mouth just shoots of the first thing that comes to it."

"Most of the time," Regina mumbled.

Emma looked up from her spot on the deck towards Regina. "Huh?"

"Nothing Miss Swan."

**Attempt #1**

Twenty minutes later and Regina had released four of the five sails. With a smile she turned around to find the boat empty. No sign of Emma. No sign actually that the woman had been there. Had she been dreaming this whole time that the blonde had followed. Although it wasn't impossible she didn't believe it was a dream. She had proof the annoying woman had been with her, just look at her Hummer that was more then enough proof.

"Miss Swan? Were did you go?"

"Uh Regina could you give me a hand?"

Regina looked around then up and blinked a few times at the blonde hanging upside down leg hooked within in the ropes of the mast. Arms dangling freely towards the ground, her face red from gravity of the blood running to it and one leg dangling away from her body. Regina noticed the slight expanse of white skin that looked smooth poking out from underneath the tank top that had been tucked carelessly into the jeans the blonde was wearing.

With a weak smile Emma chuckled nervously. "I had a little troule with the sail."

_What was she possibly going to do with the blonde?_

**Attempt #2**

"Good job."

Regina turned to Emma who smiled brightly at Regina's excellent job raising the sail that had taken the brunette fifteen minutes to untangle from Emma who landed with a hard thud on the deck. "Thank you Miss Swan now if you would be so inclined as to prepare to leave dock."

"Right what shall I do?"

"Untied the ship from the docks," Regina nodded to the docks. _How much trouble could the blonde possibly get into untying a ship from it's docking position?_

Emma unlooped, looped and unlooped again until the rope came loose. With a smile she proudly turned to face Regina who was already following the next set of rules. A strong gust of wind blew through and the boat jerked to take off sending Emma propelling backwards and into the water.

She sputtered and spurted the water as she surfaced her life jacket doing it's job efficiently. _Holy crap it was cold _she thought to herself as the boat carefully sailed away from her. "Hey!" Emma called waving her arms in the air, "Wait for me!"

Regina stopped what she was doing and her head popped up from it's spot to search the boat that was now empty once again. Looking up at the mast she expected to see the blonde once again hanging from it having entangled herself within rope but no such sign was present. "Miss Swan what happened now?"

"Regina!"

Regina blinked, she swore she had heard her name.

"Regina!"

Okay now she was positive that was her name. She moved to the bow of the boat jumping over ropes and bucket until she reached the back and noticed a figure waving her arms frantically about.

"Wait for me!"

_Oh crap how do you stop the boat? _Regina looked around. This really wasn't good.

**Attempt #3**

Emma shook slightly as a small gust of wind blew over her drenched clothes. The sun was peeking out from it's place behind the clouds giving her just enough warmth that she didn't freeze. Regina had managed to find a way to stop the boat but had forced Emma to swim the distance to it afraid if she turned it around she could end up anywhere and never being able to stop the boat.

"Miss Swan pull that rope there we need to be able to turn the boat left before we leave the our Ocean altogether."

Emma nodded having noticed the dot on the horizon as the docks they had pulled away from not an hour ago. She pulled the rope and with Regina's help the boat tipped and started left. With another proud and confident smile Emma took a step back caught her foot in a large rope and slipped falling backwards and overboard but not before grabbing onto the nearest solid object for support. That didn't work well. The solid object went overboard with her and with a splash they both impacted the cold harsh water.

"Miss Swan!"

Emma cringed maybe she should remain underwater. _I wonder if I can breathe underwater because the look Regina's giving me looks like I'm going to have to learn fast _Emma laughed nervously. "Sorry."

Regina turned from her spot treading water with her life jacket securely doing it's job at the boat sailing of into the sunset with no passengers on board as if it were an abandoned ghost ship. She turned back to Emma, "Start swimming Miss Swan."

**Attempt #4**

They had managed to reach the boat and after of few attempts of climbing on board Emma had managed to - not so graciously get on board. She had followed Regina's instructions to the 'T' to get the boat to pull to a stop and bob slowly in the water as Regina swam to catch up to it. Emma had hauled her in and smiled sheepishly luckily for her Regina had yet to try drowning her. _Note to self; water plus Regina equals not a good combination._

"Just out of curiosity there are no sharks around here right?" Emma asked curiously.

Regina shook her head. "The men had both said there weren't sharks anywhere in the vicinity and that they have shark nets up."

Emma nodded. "That's good wouldn't want to get eaten by jaws." Emma smirked when Regina nodded and went to work with boat. "Oh my God!" Emma screamed, "SHARK!"

Regina's head popped up looking around the boat and out over the expanse of water.

Emma cracked up laughing. She couldn't actually believe the brunette had fallen for it. "Oh my god, classic." Emma cried out with laughter. "You should have seen your face." Regina smirked and Emma swallowed rather loudly as Regina made her way towards her with a predatory look in her eyes, "Now Regina let's not do anything hasty. I was just joking around." The next thing Emma knew, her arms were flailing in the air, she was falling and the cold water was back encompassing her in it's freezing grasp. The life jacket inflated and it pushed her to the surface. It really was getting it's work out. Emma sputtered and spurted once again.

Emma watched as Regina leaned against the bow of the boat and waved with a smirk on her face. "Regina?" She called weakly as she watched the boat sailing away with a smirking Regina on board.

Regina cupped her hands around her mouth to project her voice as she called out to the blonde bobbing in the water, "Watch out for the sharks Miss Swan! Net's don't always work!"

Emma looked around her nervously _good to know - now_.

**Attempt #5**

Emma sat on the deck. In the spot no more then ten minutes ago she was told not to move from, from a certain brunette. "Regina my ass is getting sore and I think I've got splinters in it. Can I stand up?"

"Miss Swan your in the habit of being disastrous so just sit there."

"But Regina," Emma whined.

"No Miss Swan now just sit there."

Emma sighed but did as she was told. Reaching out she pulled on a large rope that didn't budge another tug and a loud whirring was heard for a split second. Looking around the deck she awaited the storm that had to be coming but she couldn't find Regina.

"Miss Swan up here."

The polite yet hard tone in Regina's voice caused Emma took look up. Regina was dangling upside down from the mast much like she had been before and she wore a pretty pissed of look. "How'd you end up, up there?" Emma inquired the last she had seen her she was doing something with the ropes on the deck.

"Magic Miss Swan. I flew - how do you think I ended up here?!" She snapped with the retorical question.

"I don't know that's why I asked you." Emma said.

Regina took a deep breath to calm herself down before asking, "Miss Swan what have you got in your hand?"

Emma looked down at the thick brown rope. "Umm a rop-ooh." Emma dragged out upon realizing. "Sorry."

"Just get me down Miss Swan."

**Attempt #6**

"Hey Regina look what I found." Emma held out a flag with a skull and cross bones on it. "We really could be pirates. Can I put it up?"

"If you must Miss Swan. Just...try not to damage anything."

"Yes!" Emma did a fist pump to the air took a step back preparing to turn around but landed in a bucket that caused her to fall back and grab hold of a rope which tugged at the sail and forced it to crumble down upon Regina who stood up underneath the large sheet. "You know what the flag's not important." Emma said before moving away from the white blanketed sail figure.

**XXX**

"So what's for lunch?" Emma inquired.

Regina nodded to the basket that had yet to be included in any accidents, "There's sandwiches and wraps in there take which ever one you want."

"Sweet you want anything?" Emma asked as she moved towards the bucket.

"Just a bottle of water."

Emma stopped and turned to Regina, "Regina you gotta eat. Come on I think the boat can last a few seconds without you."

Regina sighed but aquisced. "I'll take the tuna and tomato wrap."

Emma nodded and squelched the need to fist pump the air. "Thanks."

A few minutes later they were both sat in stored fold up chair over looking the sea. Emma with a soda can down beside the legs of her chair while she ate a chicken teryaki wrap that surprisingly tasted like heaven. Regina sat next to her bottle of water down by her chair as she ate her own tuna and tomato wrap.

"Where did you get this from it's nice?" Emma asked taking a rather large bite from hers.

"The man Mr. Lorais gave us lunch on the house. He was a rather nice man."

Emma scoffed, "Right it was all out of the kindness of his heart."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Regina questioned Emma.

"It means the only kindness he was thinking about was his lower half."

Regina swallowed her bite before speaking. "Is that what you think?"

Emma scoffed and looked towards Regina, "Considering he was staring at your ass the majority of the time you were talking and when you looked towards you her decided if he couldn't stare at your ass he could stare at your tits."

"Miss Swan!" Regina choked on a piece of tomato. Once she got it under control she glared at the blonde, "Do you have to be so crass?"

"It's being truthful. I'd prefer it if you didn't wear such shirts anymore and you weren't so...flirtatious towards everyone." Emma stated choosing her words carefully. Seduction and flirtation were two different things. Not much difference but they were different none the less.

"Excuse me? What I do and wear is none of your business." Regina stated and opened her mouth to continue but felt a large pile of water start to soak the footwear she was wearing for sailing. "Miss Swan I think there's a leak."

"Well it wasn't me. I use a bathroom. Although now you mention it I really do have to go." Emma said chewing on her wrap.

"No Miss Swan we're sinking!" Regina cried out as she jumped to her feet as water flooded the deck.

"Nice one Regina but it's not working. Now back to what we were talking about, your clothes have to change at least get better clothes that cover your...assets." Emma awaited the yelling that should have come and when she looked in Regina's direction she found the woman hauling buckets of water over board. "Holy crap!" Emma jumped to her feet noticing the water flooding the deck, "Don't panic. What the fuck do we do?!" Emma screamed, "Were going to sink."

"Miss Swan direct us to shore!"

"Regina we ain't got time! Everyone overboard!" Emma yelled and made for the bow of the ship preparing to launch herself over board but was caught by hand preventing her from jumping.

"Miss Swan don't panic and direct us to shore."

**XXX**

Emma and Regina stood on the cross mast as the boat continued sinking. The moment they stepped of the mast the boat sunk the rest of the way under and Emma was reminded of Jack Sparrow and the first time you saw him in the movie with his sinking ship.

Regina looked from the sunken boat to the in-disbelief Mr. Lorais standing in front of her looking out over the ocean at his lost boat. "How much?"

**XXX**

"So let's never do that again," Emma said as she and Regina walked down the street under the lit footpaths. They still had just a little over a day to kill before the Hummer would be spick and spam again.

"For once Miss Swan I happen to agree."

Emma nodded. "So what now? Dinner? Can we go to the bar? They might not sell nice food but I need a drink."

**XXX**

A few hours later and Emma and Regina found themselves running through the town, officers with flashlights chasing after them. Last time Regina ever lets Emma suggest the bar. God so many incidents where to start;

**Incident #1 (Mistake #1)**

Never let Emma suggest the bar. Never should have.

**Incident #2 (Mistake #2)**

"Come on Regina it'll be fun." Emma said with a small slur as she handed over the tequila shot. "Just one shot trust me you'll like it."

One shot had turned into another and another and another and soon enough she had quite a few shot glasses lining the bar bench and a large crowd behind her cheering her on as she continued taking shot after shot. Fuzziness clouding her senses.

**Incident #3**

"Hold this up like that," A young man who went by Travis spoke as he handed Regina a hunting rifle. "Aim for the bottles."

Regina did as told but the bottles were so blurry. She took a pot shot and the bottle shattered. A round of applause went up and Emma cheered her on to take another from her spot right behind her. Regina did and a second bottle shattered, she was good at this even slightly drunk. Regina stumbled and Emma caught her somewhat shakely from being just as drunk - okay maybe they were a little more then a little drunk.

"Take another shot," Emma whispered once Regina was steadied out.

Regina nodded took position and waited for Emma to back away before raising the gun and pulling the trigger. The window of the Sheriff's car behind the bottles shattered and the crowd quickly dispersed when the car alarm sounded.

"Walk away," Travis said.

Both Emma and Regina complied dispersing with the crowd but not before Regina had enough sense to quickly shove the gun back into Travis's hand.

**Incident #4**

"Okay hold this," Emma handed Regina a roll of toliet paper as they stared at the police station. "Ready?"

Regina nodded. If she hadn't of been drunk - slightly drunk, she would have had more sense then this. But with the haziness in her head she followed Emma as they ran around the police station TPing the place until it was all colors white. They laughed once their job was complete.

**Incident #5**

Regina would never request a bottle of water from a drunk Emma again. Ever again.

After the request Emma had sworn she would get Regina that bottle of water. The bar was closed and all shops even teh service station but that didn't stop Emma from climbing the fence and up into the roof until she found access.

Fifteen minutes later and a line of falling and damages to the store, Regina found herself with a bottle of water and a warmly smiling Emma. Yeah it was sweet in someway but Regina swore she would never ask a drunk Emma for a bottle of water again.

Looking at the store she noticed chip bags scattered around with chips all over the place. The roof caved in and store shelves tipped over. Yep never again.

**Incident #6**

"Come on Regina let's do it."

Regina should have known better but followed Emma as the woman opened the driver's side of the police car and jumped inside with Regina slipping into the passenger seat. Oh yeah if she had her senses she would have been smart enough to realize that she was making a big mistake. Instead they were lost or screaming somewhere in the black depths. Alcohol won over her sensibility.

**Incident #7**

They _may _have gotten away with it if Emma hadn't flicked on the sirens and they hadn't sped around town honking the horn and yelling at the newly made bar friends around the town who cheered them on. Regina hadn't even noticed the line of police cars flashing their lights behind them.

**Incident #8**

Regina had noticed the police cars the moment it came over the intercom, radio, loudspeaker and megaphone that one of the cops was using as he hung out of the car. "Oh shit, Miss Swan do something."

"Right," Emma nodded and slammed her foot on the accelerator as she took of winding through the streets the police behind her.

"Miss Swan they're gaining. Forget this ditch the car."

Emma did what she was told and pulled to a stop before Regina and her piled out of the vehicle and took of down the street in a fit of laughter.

And that was how Regina and Emma had ended up being chased down the street with police tagging along behind them calling for them to freeze. Oh god they were so screwed. Luckily no guns were pulled on them.

They rounded a corner and Emma yanked Regina into another alley and around another corner as police ran past them flashlights disappearing into the vast distance. "That was awesome!" Emma called out.

A hand fell on Regina and Emma's shoulder. "I'm glad you two had fun."

Regina and Emma gulped and spun around to face the police officer who had a rather large smirk in place. Yeah Regina would regret it in the morning but right now she actually found she had enjoyed letting her hair down for once and doing something so out of the ordinary and so unlawful.

**XXX**

Regina groaned as she sat up her head pounding. She looked across from her spot on the small cot and found Emma sitting in the same position with a sheepish smile on her face.

"Mornin' Regina," Emma smiled.

"What happened?" Regina asked.

"I don't know all I do know is that you slept for nearly whole day. So good sleep?"

Taking in her surroundings, "Miss Swan why are we behind bars?"

"Well," Emma chuckled nervously, "It's a funny story really."

Regina flashbacked to the incidents of the previous night and remembered her hand getting cuffed as she was placed in the back of the police car with Emma as they both laughed out loud at something they found hysterically funny.

"Miss Swan. Tell me we are not in jail?"

"Not anymore at least."

Emma and Regina's heads both popped up in surprise at a surprisingly familiar voice.

_Oh god no _Emma pleaded with whatever saint or god that could hear her that it wasn't who she thought it would be. Turning to face the front of the bars as the officer unlocked Regina's first. Nervously she smiled and waved with a nervous chuckle, "Hi mom."

Regina cringed but nodded curtly, "Snow."

**Okay so Snow joins the fray and this chapter might have been a little OOC but that's what this story is about. Snow will more than likely only be involved with one or two chapters but I had to bring her in. For Regina and Emma to sort things out I believe Regina and Snow have to come to some sort of truce and the only way for that to happen is for them to be in the same room with one another. So yes Snow will be in one or two chapters. Hopefully you enjoyed.**


	8. Savages (Part 1)

**Okay extremely long and I mean really, really long so hopefully you have the time to sit down and read this. This is part one in more than likely a two part series. Which means Snow will be around for more than two chapters as both parts will equal one Bucket List agenda. Hopefully you enjoy this as I definitely enjoyed writing this. Definitely loved this. Go SNOW! (At least in this chapter.)  
Thanks to my reviewers, favoriters and followers. I owe you all a lot and this is too everyone of you guys/girls.**

**Disclaimer**** - I do not own Once Upon A Time or Rosalyn Wraights LAC.**

**XXX**

"Okay sign here," the officer pointed to the small dotted line at the bottom of the page. "Both of you." He ordered.

Emma signed first and moved quietly out the way as Regina signed her name down next to her's. Since exiting the cell they had both kept their heads bowed and had refused to look up at Snow. Even though she couldn't see the brunette's face Emma knew that Regina was frustrated in requiring her arch-enemies support to get out of jail. Who would have guessed that Regina would end up requiring Snow's support to get out of trouble? Usually she was the one causing the trouble and Snow was the one running to stay out of it. _Funny how things change _Emma thought for a brief moment. A few more signatures here and there before the final form was slipped over towards Snow.

"If I were you I'd pick new friends," the officer spoke to Snow but huffed at Emma and Regina before gathering up the papers and turning away from them. "Your free to go."

Regina grabbed her gear off the counter along with Emma as they were quickly bustled out of the police station and into the fresh open air by Snow. The sudden intake of fresh air and not recycled caused her head to spin and the headache to return in full force, pounding away like a drum set in her head. She took a few seconds to gather herself before moving down the path leading away from the station and towards the mechanics, crossing her fingers that _her_ Hummer was fixed and ready to go.

"Anybody going answer why in the world I received a phone call and two in the morning saying that we have your friend in custody for grand theft auto of a police car non-the-less, shooting a hunting rifle within restricted area, for damaging a police car, for avoiding police - anything else I missed?" Snow asked from beside Emma and behind Regina.

"Well we also TP'ed the police station." Emma added but cringed when a death glare was shot her way from the brunette in front of her.

"You what?" Snow shook her head. "Emma you I somewhat expect it from but didn't think you would actually do it," Snow reprimanded with a shake of her head before turning to Regina. Taking a rather nervous swallow she continued, "But Regina I would never in my entire life or even in my dreams think you capable of doing something like this. Were you both high?"

Emma corrected, "Drunk."

Another death glare.

"Well this is good news any how because now you can both come home and stop - you brought a Hummer?" Snow stood in front of the large hulking black machine that the group had just stopped out front of.

"Yes dear a Hummer."

"An actual Hummer?" Snow reached out to touch the large black vehicle but her head was quickly slapped away.

"Don't touch my Hummer."

"Your Hummer?" Snow inquired.

Emma nodded.

"I was thinking of sharing it with your daughter but..." she pointed towards the mechanic coming out of the store and her vehicle, "...you can see how well that went."

"You did this?" Snow asked shocked from her daughter.

Emma nodded.

"And your still alive?" Snow looked between her daughter and Regina before poking her daughter. "Wow you really are still alive."

"Miss Mills, your vehicle is in tip top shape, you checking it out today?" the mechanic asked with a wirey grin.

"Yes, will cheque work?"

The mechanic nodded. "Yes altogether two thousand and three hundred."

"You dropped the price or something?" Emma asked from behind Regina.

The mechanic shook his head. "After last nights fiasco I figured stealing a cop car takes guts and I admire people with guts. Plus getting arrested, now that we are all in the business of being behind bars I figured I'd lower it for family."

Regina blinked.

Emma could see Regina's body tense and she half expected the woman to start blowing things up. Instead she spotted a fake smile form on the former Mayor's lips as she quickly pulled out a cheque wrote on it and handed it over to the man who quickly disappeared after receiving payment.

"Well dear it was good seeing you," Regina smiled to Snow as she pulled out her keys.

"Well since we're heading back to Storybrooke I'll tag along with you guys. Cheaper instead of catching the flight...although I don't think they do cash back if you cancel a flight." Snow smiled in thought.

"I think you have the wrong impression dear. I am not coming back to Storybrooke until the list is done."

Snow blinked. "But I just got you guys out of jail. That's a sign telling you too come back."

"I don't think so dear."

Snow turned to her daughter. "Well you're coming with me." Snow grabbed her daughter by the elbow.

Emma grimaced. She really did feel like a small child right now.

"I-I can't mom."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I promised Henry that I'd bring Regina back to Storybrooke and if this is what it takes then I'm going to do it." Emma said adamantly as she stepped away from her mother. "I'm sorry but I will not break a promise to Henry."

"He'll get over it."

Emma shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Snow sighed. "Can you guys at least drop me off for my flight back to Boston? Charming will pick me up from there."

Emma looked towards Regina who stood there looking at her nails in boredom. Emma gave her, her best pleading look. She couldn't very well leave her mother in a town with no way back. Wait - "How did you get here?"

"By bus, but the next one won't pass through again until next month and my plane leaves before that." Snow said with a small smile.

Regina rolled her eyes. This was her one chance to get rid of Snow White, leave her in a world that she knew nothing about, all alone. God she had enough trouble putting up with Emma, how much worse would it get if she allowed the blondes mother along for the ride.

"Please just to where I catch my plane."

Regina rolled her eyes once again but conceded. "Very well."

Emma let out a sigh of relief greatful that Regina wasn't going to abandon her mother on the side of the road. "So let's get going."

Regina pointed towards Snow, "You in the back and don't touch anything...anything at all."

Snow swallowed but nodded.

The group slid into the large machine, got themselves comfortable and clicked in their seatbelts. Regina slid the keys into the ignition before looking in the rear view mirror at the woman who looked around the vehicle rather oddly. Oh how she would have done anything, or have given anything to have seen Snow sitting on her very first plane flight. "Where exactly are you catching your plane from?"

Snow stopped her examination of the vehicle and quickly shuffled through her hand bag for the tickets. Pulling them out and opening them up she looked up at the two awaiting woman through the rear view mirror. "Some place called Las Vegas."

**XXX**

"Miss Swan there is no way in hell I am driving your mother to Las Vegas." Regina shook her head. _No way in hell_.

"We can't very well leave her in this small town with nothing can we?" Emma asked.

They where both standing in front of the vehicle arguing while Snow sat inside examining the interior of the vehicle while her daughter and Regina fought out front. The moment the words had left Snow's mouth Regina had gripped the steering wheel to ghost white hands and a few seconds later had forcefully stepped out of the vehicle moved to the passenger side and dragged Emma out of the car for what she said was a 'word'.

"You can't," Regina pointed to Emma before pointing to herself, "But I can."

"You'd really leave my mother in a world she knows nothing about?" Emma asked with a mixture of sadness, sorrow and disbelief.

Regina turned to looked at the pixie haired woman who quickly looked away innocently and pretended to do something else that wasn't watching them. She sighed sadly before turning back to Emma. Sharp and simple she answered, "Yep."

"What? Seriously? What the hell, if you leave her behind you leave me behind." Emma spoke with vehemence as she stood her ground.

Regina thought about that for a moment. "Well that would be killing two birds with one stone."

Emma looked at her shocked. "Really? Not even an 'I'll miss you'?"

Regina blinked. "Of course I'll miss you dear," she smiled, "Who else will provide me such entertainment on a daily basis?"

"Thank yo-" Emma blinked, "Hey I just got that."

Regina rolled her eyes before looking back towards Snow. "Well Las Vegas is on my Bucket List."

"Yes that's a good point." Emma said with a hopeful voice.

"I suppose I could drop Snow off at the airport." Regina nodded finally conceding as she turned back to the blonde, "Very well."

"Yes!" Emma fist pumped into the air as she turned to her mother giving her a thumbs up which was eagerly returned with a lot of interior bouncing.

Regina sighed. This was going to be a long trip but she couldn't deny that seeing Emma so happy made her smile herself.

**XXX**

"And a left here." Snow pointed out.

It had been two days since they had left the small town behind and had started their trip towards Las Vegas decoying along the way to mark off another Bucket List number and although Regina had given some thought and had put up a rather big argument about participating in any of her Bucket List items with Snow White she had eventually surrendered.

Looking towards Regina, Emma spotted the rather amused smirk the woman was wearing and briefly wondered when and why the woman's mood had changed dramatically. She had been fuming refusing to talk to anyone and everyone had remained in silence afraid that one word would set the woman off but somewhere along the line Emma had suggested they take a different route and try a Bucket List number to pass the time. Emma turned to stare out the front of the windshield where there was nothing but tree's and a dirt path.

"So what exactly are we doing?" Emma asked.

"Patience dear," Regina's said softly with an even bigger smirk. "I found a rather amusing flyer on the message board of the motel we were staying at."

Emma nodded, "What does that have to do-do-do...Regina paintball! Really?!"

Regina's smirk widened if it were possible. "Number forty three dear."

"We are so not doing paintball, especially with my mother. Have you ever done paintball?"

Regina shook her head.

"It hurts like really hurts, not to mention it leaves welts and bruises. What were you thinking?" Emma turned to stare back out the window where a bunch of women where waving crazily at the car. "Do you know them?"

Regina shook her head. "They're a group, this paintball was appointment only."

"Appointment only? Who the hell makes an appointment only paintball?" Emma shook her head. Paintball with Regina was deadly...now she knew why she was smirking. _Mom's in for it now_.

**XXX**

Half an our later and Regina, Emma and Snow stepped out from their tents and into the July sun turning their dark clothes into an overzealous branding iron. All of them wishing they where in the Artic and not currently making their way towards seven other women.

"Why the heck would they make us dress in dark clothes for? Especially in this heat?" Emma beseeched, "Jesus!"

As they got closer to the women Emma noticed that the women - all of them, were also dressed in black clothes.

"Okay everyone's here." A woman with light brown hair dressed to the 'T' in a black outfit spoke up, "Great. Can I get everyone to go sit around the table over there." She pointed it out and silently everybody made their way over towards it. Look overs were given by everyone before they all took their seats around the wooden table. "Okay we are going to start off with introducing ourselves and to settle curiousity I would also like for you to tell everyone what you do and why your here." She paused waiting for anyone to disagree, a few chatter rounded the table before it went silent again. With a nod she started, "I'm Felicia Couer and I'm an Investigative Reporter, I came here to have fun an meet new people."

The second woman whose hair begun to gray slightly looked up and around at the group. She was in her late forties gaining on fifty. "I'm Elise Newman and I'm a trauma surgeon. I came here because my wife," she nodded over to another woman whose dark black hair began to show signs of gray, "forced me to."

Felicia looked over towards the womans wife and nodded towards her.

"I'm Katherine Webster but you can all call me Kate and I'm here because I want to prove to myself that age will not get in the way of me having fun and that I can do whatever you youngin's can." She nodded adamant about what she was saying.

A woman with red hair raised her hand to speak next. "I'm Abigail Watson and I'm a firewoman and I'm here cause my boss said I should get a life and my girlfriend," she nodded towards Felicia, "happens to agree with him."

Another woman in the group laughed. "Funny same here." She looked around the table, "Names Desiree Caverly but can call me Dez and I'm a Homicide Detective with absolutely no life and that is why I'm here."

Regina kicked Emma who let out a small cry off pain and all eyes turned to the blonde who glared towards Regina.

"Uh my names Emma Swan and I'm a Sheriff for a small town in Maine and I'm here because bossy here decided to come here." Emma thumbed towards Regina earning another kick under the table.

"Regina Mills former Mayor of such small town in Maine and I'm here to complete a list."

"Bucket List?" Abigail popped up from the end of the table her beanie starting to fall over her eyebrows.

Regina nodded. "Yes."

"I could imagine what you've seen. All the things you've done and have yet to do," one of the women said giddily. She had blonde hair lighter then Emma's and she was smiling widely, "I'm Madeline Parker, I'm an artist and I'm here because I want to try paintball...what a creative way to use paint. Imagine all the colors. So pretty. Red, blue, green...what colors are we using? Mul-"

"We'll get to that," Felicia held up her hand stopping the exuberant womans ramble.

Snow raised her hand, "I'm a teacher and my names Mary-Margaret but most people just call me M. Last names Blanchard and I'm here because my sister is on a Bucket List trip with a friend of ours." Snow patted Regina on the back. "I'm just tagging along."

The last woman had short black hair and sat pulling her black clothes away from her body to allow some cool breeze to wash over her body. "My names Haley Thompson and I'm a Commercial Airline Pilot."

_Maybe you could send Snow back earlier? _Regina thought to herself and she looked over towards the pixie cut woman who was smiling brightly hand still on her back. Why did she have to go with sister? She didn't even want to be related to this woman? Not even in a friendly manner.

Felicia spoke up again, "Okay first up I'd like to point out that this is a competition and that the winner will win a trophy. Secondly, my brother, Link, owns this land. He never quite grew up, so he uses this place as a paintball arena with his friends. In the fall, it turns into a place where they slaughter deer during the hunting season."

Emma watched her mother and firewoman Abigail Watson pale. Her mother paling had more to do with the fact that she was more then likely imagining the poor animals who had families, Abigail on the other hand - she looked like a woman who was a vegetarian and had a hard time imagining animals in harms way, let alone being shot.

"Barbaric, but like I said, he never quite grew up." She made a quick scan of the landscape before turning back to the group. "So just be careful of wild life."

Abigail nobly wrested the attention away from her girlfriend. "So let's take care of the business side of this before we setlle into a pleasant evening. Fire will be important all weekend," she explained. "It's what will keep us warm at night and give us light. It is also needed for food. So your first task is to collect enough firewood to keep it going."

No one seemed thrilled by the idea, but regardless, they all stood to begin their hunting mission, their scavenger hunt. Before anyone could move Katherine piped in, "Wait whose camper is that then?"

Felicia and Abigail turned to the camper sitting quietly at the edge of the camping zones, looking far more cozier then any of the tents. "That's ours."

A gasp from Kate went up in the air. "Your going to make an old woman sleep on the ground in a tent?"

Elise held up her hand to stop Felicia and Abigail from talking. "First of all Kate you are only old when it's convenient for you, and second whose idea was this in the first place? Now zip it old lady."

Emma, Regina, Snow and the others looked at one another before placing their hands over their mouths to stop their chuckles from escaping. The group made to move again but before they could Felicia added, "And as long as you're out there, you might as well spend some time searching for your camping gear." She looked towards Abigail, and they both chuckled.

"We've scattered it throughout the forest. If you don't find it, you'll be sleeping without shelter." Abigail added with another round of chuckles.

Emma looked towards Regina, "I thought you said this was paintball. Hell I thought the sign said paintball and not a scavenger hunt."

"Are you saying your not capable of doing such a thing Miss Swan?"

Snow looked between her daughter and Regina. "Now you two behave. I have a feeling this is going to be really fun and enjoyable. Plus the ladies seem nice enough."

Emma looked around at the group of women. They all looked to be in the same predicament, wondering what the hell happened to the paintball part of paintball. It seemed nobody knew this was going to be a scavenger hunt.

"Well go on," Abigail pushed them forward. "Better get moving and they're all labeled."

Moans and groans erupted. Grownups? Adult women? Pfft in what universe? Regina looked at the two chuckling women and then at the group. They were in trouble. Well at least she knew why she had to give names, and sizes to the women over the phone.

It made Emma feel like she was a little kid headed off to summer camp. She was now half expecting the two women to ask them to write their names on their undies.

"And," Felicia repeated several times before anyone paid attention. "And so you know where to put your stuff _if _you find it, I need each of you to grab a name out of this bag here and then grab a piece of paper out of the bag Abigail is holding up. Whoever you pull out of my bag will be your team mate and whichever color you get from Abigail's designates which team and which area belongs to you."

She extended the first bag to the Homicide Detective. Reaching in Desiree pulled out a small piece of paper, flipped it over and read out loud.

"Wings, your with me." She waved the strip of paper in the air and everybody caught a quick glimpse of the name 'Haley Thompson'.

The two women moved a few steps away to allow the next woman to reach into the bag. Emma reached in a pulled out the small strip of paper, flipped it over and read aloud.

"Mary-Margaret," Emma looked up towards her mother. Damnit they were definitely in trouble. Looking towards Regina she saw the wide smirk plastered on the woman face. If Regina's look was anything to go by she would almost believe the brunette had planned this out just so she could shoot her mother and herself. _Anger issues or what? _

"Mayor ma'am," Felicia waved the bag towards the brunette.

"Regina's fine." Regina waved at them as she reached into the bag and withdrew her strip of paper, flipped it over and read aloud. "Madeline Parker."

A loud screech went up in the air as the woman tackled Regina in a fierce hug. "This is going to be so awesome!"

Emma and Snow looked at one another, hid behind their hands and chuckled amongst themselves at the look of dread Regina was now sporting towards the young giddy woman who was jumping around in excitement holding onto the crook of Regina's arm. Emma squelched down the bubbles in her stomach at seeing the young blonde enthusiastically holding onto Regina. _Jealousy again Emma? _

Katherine and Elise high fived one another happy to find themselves together in a team. One by one, one person from the partnership plucked out a small piece of colored paper. Emma and Snow were green. Katherine and Elise saw red. Desiree and Haley felt yellow. Regina and the exuberant Madeline turned purple.

"For now, you can be in any of the areas while you're out on your hunt," Felicia instructed. "Try to get a feel for the land, too. It will help you tomorrow."

The patrons had a curious look on their faces but it quickly vanished as they each dispersed and started their hunt deeper and deeper into the forest. Everyone was helpul and non-competitive for the time being and briefly Emma wondered if this was how the paintball game was going to be - if they were ever to do paintball.

Everyone worked together to create an enormouse pile of wood and tinder. Within an hour, everyone had completed the tasks. Couples began setting up camp while Felicia and Abigail got the fire roaring.

After Emma and Snow had set up their tents, they both moved inside it, trying to organize a bit.

There was a moment of silence before Snow spoke up again, "So you and Regina have been doing this the whole time?"

Emma shook her head. "Not this exactly but some pretty - weird things."

Snow chuckled. "Never thought I'd see my daughter hanging out with Regina."

"She's not that bad," Emma pointed out. "She's..."

"Confused and lost?" Snow asnwered with raised eyebrows, "She's looking for a place she belongs I know that." Snow turned to look out the tent flaps to where Regina and Maddy where finishing setting up their tents. "It still doesn't excuse everything she did."

"Doesn't it?" Emma looked towards her mother as the pixie haired woman turned to face her. "Sometimes our past shapes us to be who we are."

Exiting the tent each couple slowly made their way over towards the roaring fire. Emma took her spot beside Regina, Snow next to her and Haley next to Snow. Maddy took a spot next to Regina with Desiree sitting beside her and Elise, Katherine, Felicia and Abigail taking the last four spots around the fire. As the fireworks started Emma noted they where in fact on high ground with a clear view of the stunning display. She had never celebrated Independence Day before but sitting here with Regina one side and her mother on the other, and surprisingly even with strangers surrounding her she truly felt at home for once.

**XXX**

The utter peacefulness shattered into a million pieces when Felicia suddenly appeared from the periphery and pulled the trigger of an air horn. It startled everyone to immediate attention.

"Starting tomorrow," she said, "the air horn is your friend."

Emma cringed. Her ears doubting that.

Felicia went on to explain, "Whoever holds the air horn in this area - the inner sanctum - has the floor, and everyone else must listen." She looked to the group in challenge as she held the horn high.

No one dared to object, but Emma believed fear masqueraded as respect. She figured they were about to find out about the game.

Felicia handed the horn to Abigail, and she said, "We've decided that a civilized game of Capture the Flag might be fun."

Everyone looked towards Felicia as she sat down next to Abigail. Emma turned to face Regina _civilized? My ass _turning back to the women she gave them her full attention once again.

"There are a lot of rules to go over so listen up," Felicia said. "First off, your designated area is yours to defend, where you will hide your flags. Each couple gets three flags in their color, worth one hundred, two hundred and three hundred points. The objective is to sneak into enemy territory and steal their flags. All flags can be stolen back by their respective owners. Fair is fair. However you only get points for enemy flags you capture. No points for recapturing your own flags." She smiled warmly.

It sounded basic enough to everyone.

Abigail continued for Felicia, "You cannot hide flags under anything. They must be visible and within reach. That's important. Does that make sense to everyone?"

Emma looked around and noted ththat there appeared to be no confusion, but Haley raised her hand and asked, "How do we defend our flags?"

Felicia explained, "You can capture anyone who is in your zone. Simply touch them or hit them with a paintball, and you can haul them off to jail."

Emma noticed the Detective's weird look of explanation and yet it was ignored for the moment as, "Paintballs!" made its way through the crowd. Emma cringed feeling uneasy at the thrill it seemed to garner. Paintballs equaled pain for her. Lots and lots.

"Yes, paintballs," Felicia said. "But only one team member gets a paintball gun." Pulling out multi colored bags she held out a color to it's respective members, "Pick and we'll see who gets the paintball gun."

Katherine reached into the red bag and withdrew with yet another strip of paper. "Elise!" she called.

Desiree reached into the yellow one and withdrew her own strip of paper. "Desiree! Yes!" she cheered leant around the group and high fived a happy Haley.

Emma guessed it was because the Detective knew how to hold a gun. A slight unfair advantage. Emma reached into the green bag in front of her and withdrew the strip, "Mary-Margaret," she said falling into her mother's double name. Better then explaining Snow White to a group of trigger happy paintball women.

Madeline reached into the bag and withdrew. "It's me! It's me!" She bounced up and down quickly hugging anyone near by.

Regina sighed with relief. Even though she had wanted to hold a gun she had to admit that giving the excited woman the weapon might prove more lethal. Paint plus artists equaled chaos. Lots and lots.

The soon-to-be-armed ones chuckled, suddenly feeling very omnipotent. Regina looked towards Emma with sheer refusal to believe that they posed a real threat - with the exception of smirk the Detective was wearing. Katherine gasped. Haley laughed. Emma however didn't know what to think. A laughing gasp of refusal to believe that, Snow, the woman who couldn't harm a fly was going to be shooting a paintball weapon.

Abigail continued, "If you get hit with a paintball in the enemy zone, you are automatically jailed."

The look of explanation fell on the Detective's face yet again and finally it was answered.

"Anytime you get captured by a paintball or otherwise, you are at the mercy of your jailer or capturer. The jailer or capturer however you wish to put it has three choices. She can tie you to that jail tree over there." Abigail stopped and pointed to the tree near the clearing. "You must stay tied to the tree for fifteen minutes. The jailer, capturer can instead choose to ask you one question that you must answer honestly. 'I don't know' will only suffice if it is the absolute truth. The jailer, capturer's last choice is to take one item from you. If it's a concealed item, the jailer, capturer must name the object properly, and then you have to hand it over if you have it."

Abigail and Felicia went on to explain the safe zones: The inner sanctum and one's own territory were the only places where harm could not come to them. Further, at any time anyone could blow the air horn in the inner sanctum and everyone would have to report immediately for assembly. The person with the horn could rat on rule-breakers, and the group could decide on punishment. Also in the inner sanctum, rules could be renegotiated, and items could be traded.

Then Felicia explained charms. "We have three small beanbags with names on each: Goddess, Retaliation, and Probation. These will be scattered about. If you find one, you can keep it until you're ready to use it. After you use one, you have to come back here and throw it into another couple's territory. Goddess allows you to stun everyone in your line of sight for a total of five minutes, in which time you can either capture them or head into their territory without their defense. Retaliation allows you to capture a player within her own territory. Probation will get you our of jail immediately no questions asked." She added the last bit for a bit of humor.

Abigail took the imaginary microphone and spoke, "We also have four spells for you to use on your enemies. Each team gets a spell sign and car tie it to a tree anywhere within their own territory - as long as it is not within teen feet of a flag. You can also move it around as often as you want. There's the Alarm, which means that when you see this word on a sign you must _loudly _make an alarm sound until you can get out of enemy territory. If you see Freeze on a sign, then you have to sit down where you are for five minutes." Abigail laughed in anticipation for the next spell, "If you see Humiliation, you must sing at the top of your lungs the words to 'I Feel Pretty' while you run out of enemy territory. The last one is Damsel. When you see this one, you have to scream your partner's name and tell her to rescue you."

Felicia and Abigail laughed loudly and high fived each other and the grief stricked ready to pack and run women's faces in front of them. Felicia spoke, "Now here's the hard part."

Everyone shuddered to think of such a thing.

Abigail raised her voice a little with an authoritive tone. "The following rules are the _most _important. Violators will be dealt with harshly."

Felicia said, "One, absolutely no head-shots with the paintball guns."

"Two, no entering enemy territory without goggles on."

"Three, you cannot steal or ask anyone to surrender their camping gear or paintball supplies."

"Four, be honest."

"Five, do not hurt anyone or anything."

"And six!" Abigail exclaimed, "Have fun."

Regina was already planning her victory celebration by the looks of it as she asked, "And what does the winning team get? I think we should be clear about that."

"Losing teams will pay for breakfast and you will receive a trophy." Felicia answered earning a round of cheers. Apparently everyone was determined not to be the person paying for breakfast.

With that said Felicia and Abigail handed out respective team colored bandanas. Everyone turned them into head bands, each looking like their own versions of Ranbow. Then came the goggles: small and clear goggles that didn't make anyone look like flies or aliens. Next came the flags, plastic things with team colors stuck on six inch bendable sticks. Then came the large envelopes that contained each partnerships spell signs.

Everyone got a bit more hyped with each piece of gear they received but to the group of women's deflation. Abigail announced, "The game begins at sunrise. And if the paintballers could kindly follow Felicia, she will give you some instructions on loading and shooting."

The four women took off with Felicia, Snow throwing a wave back towards Emma and Regina. Abigail went back to her list at the picnic table, and Haley, Regina, Katherine and Emma sat around the fire. As Haley lit up a cigarette, Emma asked, "What's the saying about not being able to hit a barn?"

Regina replied, "Couldn't hit the side of the barn from the inside with all the doors shut."

"That's it, and that's them." Emma said earning a round of nods from all the women. "I don't think we have anything to worry about."

"Except for maybe Detective Caverly." Haley pointed out.

Everyone cringed but had to agree.

Emma tried to imagine her mother armed. Her mother could look lethal if she tried hard enough but the idea of her pointing a gun at anyone made Emma chuckled lightly. Regina's partner on the other hand made her think of a child, the artist would more then likely be more enthralled by the paint then anything. Though Emma had to admit she was glad Regina hadn't received the gun, who knew what disasters would happen if the woman had gotten her hands on a paintball gun.

Speaking confidently Regina said, "Ready to lose Miss Swan?"

Emma scoffed and waved her hand as the women around them snickered at the challenging tone. "I won't have to be ready to lose because I won't be, but if I were you I'd start getting ready because we are going to wipe the floor with you."

"Here come the lethal women. Quick put your hands up!" Haley exclaimed and everyone gave in throwing their hands into the air, even Regina.

"We have all been educated on proper use of firearms," Dez said giving a small bow as playful slaps were delivered to the Detective from gun weilding women. Apparently they had started getting along fairly well.

"It's quite easy," Elise said. "I think I can do it."

The other's concurred and Katherine rolled her eyes in the non-gun-weilders direction.

Emma noticed the mood was strange or perhaps strained. It was solemn and disturbed. Maybe it was because she was tired or because she was thinking about the pain that accompanied paintball in the morning.

An hour later and everybody had gotten to know one another fairly well but they all had decided to hit the sleeping bags since they would all have to rise with the sun. Emma crashed onto her sleeping bag followed by her mother who crashed silently next to her. The sound of quiet chatter as everyone got comfortable in separate tents made it's way around the camp, until it eventually but slowly died down to silence. Letting sleep overcome her Emma closed her eyes.

**XXX**

"Pancakes! I smell pancakes!" Emma exclaimed unzipping the ten and popping her head out of the tent. Drooling she looked around and sure enough Felicia and Abigail sat at their picnic table, periodically sticking forks in their mouths. Her mouth watered even more.

"Still thinking about your stomach Miss Swan?" Regina asked holding out a cup of coffee. "The drinks are free but the food, well let's just say the Detective is very good at following orders."

With that being said Emma caught sight of the Detective marching over the hill picnic basket in hand. _Had that been out there all night? _Emma briefly wondered.

The Detective strode up to Regina and bowed. "Your Majesty." She said handing over the basket.

_Oh how truthful was that statement_ Emma snickered to herself hearing her mother behind her doing the exact same thing.

"Thank you dear," Regina smiled at the woman who shot a playfull glare towards her. Regina shrugged.

"Did you have to go hunting for that?" Snow asked popping her head out of the tent, "Berries and nuts?"

"Err no," Dez said shaking her head. "Hotdogs."

"For breakfast?" Emma asked a sullen look on her face, "But they get pancakes." She nodded to the two women.

"Don't argue with them, me and Regina tried this morning but it went nowhere."

Snow chuckled, "Then arguing with them really is pointless if Regina can't get them to agree."

Regina glared and Emma laughed to herself. Desiree laughed along although for different reasons she was thinking about.

An hour later and everybody had donned their cat burglar clothes and headed towards the inner sanctum as the CD player blared out 'I Fell Pretty', washing everyone's brain with the important lyrics that would take a part in the game.

"Looks to me like the sun is up. You guys had better get a move on!" Abigail said.

The crowd dispersed in all direction to get their areas set up. Emma noticed Desiree and Haley had yet to move. Emma shot them a quizzical look and received a dismissive wave.

"We set ours up hours ago."

Emma and Snow took off zooming into enemy territory, each taking a different color. Ahead of Emma loomed larger than life: a yellow flag with two hundred written on it, sticking out of the ground. "I got one! I got one!" Emma yelled.

She expected a 'Good job Emma!' or a battle cry from her mother at least. But all she got was, "'I feel pretty, oh so pretty. I feel pretty and witty and gay.'" and the sound of a laughing Regina as she watched Snow streak out of her territory singing.

Emma watched her mother whip past her with a laughing Regina hunched over with tears at the sight. She looked back to her mother who continued running whilst singing.

"And I pity any girl who isn't me today. I feel charming, oh so charming'...run like hell, Emma, because... 'It's alarming how charming I feel."

And Emma did. She ran like hell, flying over the yellow tape at the front. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Regina tackling Snow to the ground. Emma couldn't help her though. Speeding to the center of the inner sanctum, she yelled, "Two bloody hundred points!"

Emma bent to catch her breath and them watched as Regina perp-walked Snow to the Inner Sanctum Penitentiary for the Musically Insane with a satisfied smirk on her face. No matter where they where, gun or not, weapon or not, Regina still managed to get Snow. "That's not fair! You can't lock her up! We haven't even started yet."

"Then hand over the flag Emma," Felicia said holding out her hand expectantly.

Emma toyed with the idea. She really did. You had to believe that she did. Walking over to her lover, tied to a tree with a smirking Regina hovering over her...she looked so vulnerable, so beaten, so dirty. Emma hugged her mother briefly and vowed, "I promise to write. I promise."

Snow looked at her daughter in disbelief while Regina laughed beside her.

Emma took off in a blaze to protect their flags and the newly earned yellow one. Emma slid on her green headban and shoved the three flags into it. Down her shirt, she stuffed the yellow flag and the spell sign they had yet to hang. Making her way back to the inner sanctum she caught sight of Regina walking back into the midst of the colored tape.

"You look ridiculous Miss Swan with flags sticking out of your head." Regina rolled her eyes.

**XXX**

Twenty minutes later, Emma poked her head up over a shrub looking around as everyone moved towards yellow zone. Desiree and Haley sat patiently waiting. Desiree's gun set up and prepared to fire. Emma wanted to watch to see how perfect the detective's arim was but instead focused on Regina who took of into the red zone. The thought briefly crossed Emma's mind that with everyone gaining on yellow zone, there would be no one protecting the rest of the forest. Emma looked down to her mother who had only gotten out of the Penitentiary five minutes ago. Together they took off into enemy territory.

Emma zoomed through grabbing flags. Holding four altogether she turned coming face to face with a large group of glaring women ready to pounce. Slipping her hand down her shirt Emma pulled out a 'Freeze' spell sign and waved it about. "I got them! I got them!" Emma called out as her mother ran around tapping them all on their heads to theme of 'duck, duck, goose'.

Emma sped to the inner sanctum where Regina was already placing her flags on the picnic table. Snow brought up the rear with her prisoners who she quickly tighed to the tree. Distraught women looking on at their failed attempts. Emma slammed her own flags down on the table and cried out the points she had gathered as her mother teased the insolent captives.

Emma and Regina looked between one another. There were only two territories with flags left. Purple and Green. Regina took off in a flash into Green's territory and perhaps idiotically, Emma took of into purple's territory instead of defending her own.

Emma made a point of staring out the ground to avoid getting caught up in any spells. If she didn't see them. They couldn't effect her. Coming across a small pond, she noticed a canteen with a purple flag floated within the water, gently bobbing up and down. Emma could see the three hundred mocking her in her mind, it was quickly drowned out by Regina's face mocking her instead. Of course Regina would float a canteen with the flag out into the center of the pond where it would be unreachable without swimming.

"God damn Regina!" Emma cried out but all that came back was the echoing sound of her voice.

Emma groaned and begun to trudge out into the water. Waist deep, she lunged to retrieve her prize and hauled ass with heavy pants back to inner sanctum. She ran through the purple enemy zone but was greeted with a humorous tone at the edge of it.

"I'm assuming you either wet yourself Miss Swan or you've got our three hundred." She waved the green flags as Emma pulled to a stop and turned to face the brunette, "I seemed to have picked up a two and three. Imagine that." Regina laughed before sprinting after Emma ready to catch the woman as the blonde took off. It seemed an odd thing to be in pursuit of Sheriff but who cared right at this point.

Regina jumped for her but only managed to grasp a heel for a mere second or two before Emma pulled free. Picking herself up she ran again and by the time they reached Regina and Madeline's tent it was nearly dead heat. Regina lunged again, this time spot on, bringing down the blonde who gave a small cry of surprise. They both landed with an 'Ooff' as they landed on the snazzy purple tape that guarded Regina's territory.

"You don't have me!" Emma called, "I'm half out of your friggin territory."

"Now way your mine, Miss Swan!" Regina cried still grasping the woman in a firm grip. "I got you give me the bloody flag Miss Swan!"

Just them Felicia and Abigail ran to the scene of the impending crime.

"I've got her! I captured her! Tell her to give me the frickin flags back!" Regina somewhat order from her spot on Emma's back where she held the woman down.

Felicia and Abigail conferred for a few moments. Finally, Abigail declared, "We think it's a draw, Regina. We'll have to say that you didn't have her."

Emma rolled over with glee, sending Regina face first into the grass. "Haha!" Emma exclaimed jumping to her feet and doing a little dance. She had successfully won that round. "You shouldn't have let go when you had my shoe."

"What do you mean when she had your shoe?" Felicia asked.

Emma cringed, "Doh!"

"Haha!" Regina exclaimed jumping to her own feet.

Emma threw the flags back into the purple zone as Regina circled her. Like predator to prey. When Emma dove for her, Regina slipped out of the way causing Emma to fall to the ground. Regina sat on top of her and cried out in victory. "I got you again Miss Swan! And this time your going to jail!"

Regina dragged Emma, literally dragged the blonde to jail and the sensation was akin to a narcotic that would course through the bloodstream.

Snow sat on the ground tied to the tree with the rest of the women. Somewhere along the line it seemed things had been reversed. Madeline stood next to the group wide smile on her face as her partner dragged the blonde behind her towards the Penitentiary.

Regina tied Emma to the mix. All of them! Regina and Madeline had managed to capture every single on of them!

_Yes! Yes ! Yes! Frickin' yes! _Regina cheered inside her head as she and Madeline shared a rather big high five before dancing circles around their captives.

And then, the air horn sounded.

**XXX**

Felicia and Abigail stood in the middle of the inner sanctum. The air horn in Felicia's hand clearly identified her as the trigger-puller. She ordered, "Madeline, let everybody go."

Madeline did as instructed even thought Regina glared at the two women surrounding the air horn. Each parolee directed dirty looks in Regina and Madeline's direction as they moved to join Felicia and Abigail. "Everybody over here for assembly."

When everyone was finally seated Felicia spoke. "We didn't start this very well thanks to Regina, Madeline, Emma and M. Things got started a lot fast then we expected them too. At this rate you'll kill yourselves by noon."

The group all laughed and once again Regina and Madeline were recipients of dirty looks.

"We could just end the game now," Regina dare suggest. "Whoever has the most points wins."

Madeline second the idea, and the rest erupted into loud voices.

"I don't think so Regina," Felicia said, laughing. "But thanks for the wonderful idea. We had something different in mind."

Abigail continued, "We just wanted you to have some actual time to get set up and decide on a strategy. You guys didn't even get a chance to load. So..." She paused to make sure she had everyone's attention, "You have until ten-thirty to take care of business and then we'll resume the game. Do whatever you need to do by then but do not - under any circumstances - enter enemy territory."

"Clear?" Felicia asked and received no opposition.

**XXX**

An hour later and Regina and Madeline goggled, and determined, waited to defend what they had kicked ass to get. _To hell with mercy!_

"Go!" was yelled.

Nothing. Regina had expected an onslaught, all of the groups rushing them in an attempt to overwhelm. An oversupply off adrenalin coagulated, leaving the shakes and confused disappointment.

Suddenly from yellow territory the Detective raced and flew into Emma and Snow's area all at the same time. Haley entered the purple zone and both Regina and Madeline were prepared. Madeline and Regina shot their guns repeatedly as Haley barreled down on Regina. They continued firing their guns repeatedly but hit nothing but flora. Haley veered to the far side , did a sharp turn, and sped for the tape that cleaved the green and the purple. In an instant Haley and Desiree swapped territories. Desiree was now Regina's prey. The two women ran in confounding circles and then switched again.

Regina looked towards Emma, who was also obviously having the same difficulty she was at targeting either of them. Regina neared the invader only to have a different invader well out of reach. They weaved and bobbed in an orchestrated dance until they were almost near the back. And then, they repeated the process in the opposite direction. On one roll into Emma and Snow's area, Regina spied a gree flag in Haley's hand. _Shit! _The two women continued on to the front, frustrating Regina beyond belief, but she felt more hopeful as they were nearing an armed Madeline.

"Shoo them!" Regina screamed to Madeline, who aimed, fired repeatedly, and subsequently joined both herself and Emma in the ranks of the humiliated.

And then Snow shot.

In a time-stopping blink of an eye, green paint splattered across Haley's black T-shirt.

Then the loudest "Oh my God!" reverberated for miles. "Oh my God, this is so sweet!" Snow exclaimed in glee.

Snow shot Haley again. Haley dove to the ground, yelling to Emma, "I though you said she couldn't hit a barn!"

Emma cringed. Regina laughed.

Snow's jaw dropped, and then she smiled manically a very unlike Snow White thing to do. Taking aim at Emma and hitting her in the stomach. Then she shot Regina. Then Desiree and even the crouching Madeline. _Pop, pop, pop! _The gun went. Snow's wits snapped and crackled like a fuse on the verge of blowing.

"Oh my God, this is so sweet! I want one of these! Watch this, you guys!" she yelled, totally ignorant of the fact that victims did not like to watch their own demise. Snow shot everything and everybody, over and over, a look of delirious abandon on her face. She probably would have shot herself had the gun been shorter. She screamed another 'Oh my God' and then just started hysterically laughing, so consumed by the moment that she was no longer a part of real time.

Emma saw Felicia and Abigail approaching behind her. Help had arrived. Emma was so very grateful...and very, very green.

Abigail calmly shouted, "M, drop it!"

Emma thought that, that rational request was something herself and Desiree would say with all authority that their badge and real gun provided. You never make rational requests of the irrational unless your weapon. Abigail's verbal gun wasn't big at all, and suddenly the woman was green. Snow turned and shot them both. She held the trigger and spun in wild circles.

And then Regina rushed her. Brave and courageous and surprisingly fluid and fast. She took the painter down in a swift and desperate haul. She flattened her and sat on her stomach, tossing the gun out of reach and holding her arms to the ground.

"Oh Regina can I get one of those?! Emma, Regina please?!" Emma could picture the moment Snow returned with a paintball gun and shook her head, not something Charming would be happy about. Sadly Regina was picturing it too but with a mischievous smirk. "They are so cool! Did you see-" She tilted her head slightly, and for the first time, she noticed that Regina was more green than a frog obsessed with little children. "You look funny," Snow said through laughter.

"No you look funny Sn-Mary-Margaret," Regina countered. "You just massacred us, and now you're in trouble."

"I'm not in trouble!" snow said dismissively assured. "I did what I was supposed to do. Did you see how the pain just explodes and splashes all over? Oh my god, can I have one of my own?"

Brave Katherine and Elise approached, now that the threat had been eliminated. Katherine stared down at Snow and just shook her head. Elise did the same, her own gun by her side.

"Oh my God, Elise, did you shoot it? Isn't it sweet?"

"I'm going to shoot you."

Snow flew to a seated position, plowing over Regina, who apparently decided it was safe and wasn't agree enough to keep the woman restrained. _Regina really had changed_ Emma thought to herself with a small smile.

Snow jumped to her feet and threw her arms into the air, "Do it, Elise. Shoot me! Oh my God, shoot me!"

Elise looked to Regina, Emma and Abigail who both shrugged their shoulders, slightly grinning.

Felicia, however, reasoned, "You can only shoot to defend your territory. Rules have to apply just like they should have - and will be - applied to M."

With a loud laugh, Madeline yelled, "Come mess with me, M. Come into our territory if you want to get shot!"

Stupidly, Snow found utter liberation in the idea. She hightailed it over the tape and presented herself in complete submission to Madeline, who had yet to hit the proverbial side of the barn. Regina's partner was paint-thirsty and craving her first kill.

Madeline raised her gun. "Are you sure?" she asked with a huge grin. With Snow's excited nod, she let loose, and a series of purple blasts riddled Holly's body, like a boisenberry splattering against the clothes. Both of them doubled over in laughter, and eventually Snow scooped her into a hug, and they continued the hysterics.

That was another point Emma made to herself: this erroneous belief that it was Regina and Emma who were unbalanced. It was so very far from accurate. All one had to do was look at them in their purple hug-dance.

Felicia shouted, "All right, you two. Get over here so we can deal with the green mess."

Snow came back, and as she did so, she scanned the green painted landsape. There existed no sense within her that she had done something wrong. Apparently, Felicia surmised the same, and asked, "Do you know what you did wrong, the rules you broke?"

"I did what I was supposed to do. I defended the green territory. Duh!"

"Was Emma - your partner, mind you - a threat to your territory? How about Regina and Madeline standing in their own territory? How about us, for Pete's sake?"

Snow beamed, "Oh, it just felt so good!"

"Well, I think you lose the gun for a while for breaking the rules."

"No!" Snow screamed, "Please don't take my gun. I promise, I promise I won't break the rules ever again. Please don't take my gun!"

"Give her half an hour in jail and be done with it," Haley suggested.

Consensus was quickly achieved, and Abigail and Felicia readied her for the perp-walk with a waving and smirking Regina, but Emma interrupted with a very good question. "If I captured Haley while she was in possession of a purple flag, who gets the flag? Is it the same as when Regina got to take her own flags from me?"

"You're her jailer now. Figure it out," Felicia said matter-of-factly.

_Shit! _Regina thought.

Emma moved to Haley and demanded, "Give me the green flag!" Haley surrendered it to her.

"Not fair! They broke the rules. We should get it back!" Regina argued.

"M broke the rules, not Emma."

Emma jumped into a victory strut. Strutting around like she owned the world while holding onto her purple flags. Regina moved over towards Madeline drenched in purple when the group heard Haley.

"I'm sorry, Des-" she began and then shrieked, "Where's Desiree? Has anyone seen Dez?"

_Where the hell had that green Detective absconded too? _Emma thought doing full circle in an attempt to find the woman.

_Shit! Shit! Shit! Too many swear words for one day Regina...way to much time hanging around Emma _Regina told herself.

In unison everyone turned toward the inner sanctum, and there she sat, raising her coffee cup above her head and smiling. If there was ever an opportune moment for Snow to go ballistic. Emma figured this was it.

Everyone sped to the inner sanctum. Desiree cockily pointed to the picnic table, and we discovered: a gree, two yellows, a red, and a purple.

"Everybody hit yello! Now!" Regina yelled, and the lot of them tore through into their territory. Haley and Desiree lagged far enough behind that one of us was sure to stumble on their last flag. Eventually an angry Katherine wailed "I Feel Pretty," and Elise screamed, "I got it! I got it! Head out through our territory. Move!"

Everyone cleared the yellow/red twist of tape and hauled ass back to the inner sanctum, arriving with both Emma and Madeline making "beep, beep, beep" sounds after having had the frickin' Alarm spell cast upon them. Elise slapped the yellow flag on the picnic table and declared, "Three hundred!"

**XXX**

The group felt the full-blown effects of age and frenzy, all of them working hard to recapture breath. Desiree and Haley appeared on the edge of their territory, laughing and just as breathless.

In the distance, Abigail and Felicia finished tying Snow to the jail-tree. Felicia offered her reminders of the Ws of warfare: who, when, and where. It was the absence of the 'why' rationale that scared Emma the most.

As they returned to the group, Emma nudged Regina. "Can you do something? Can you get her out of jail please?" Emma asked with pleading eyes.

"No way!" Regina showed no mercy and was more than revelling in the fact it had taken her so long and yet had been as simple as a game of paintball to have Snow White at her mercy. Tied up, for her to do what torturous things she pleased.

Emma looked at Regina. She showed no mercy. She did not do battle with mercy. It probably did battle with her.

"She showed no mercy when shooting any of us. And besides, I'm not her jailer." She stared at Emma and slowly meandered away from her. "And besides..." She moved further, watching Emma try to figure out what the hell she was up to. Regina was taunting the two women, moving towards Snow, and for a second Emma thought mercy had seized her.

"And besides," she said again, "her being in jail..." She started running. "Her being in jail leaves your territory not very well defended!" She was off into the green area like a paintball from Snow's gun.

Emma sprinted. Snow yelled, "Get her, Emma! Get her! Don't let her get awa-" Snow thought that sentence through for a second. Never in her life did she think she would be saying that about Regina in anyway that wasn't to bring her in to answer for her crimes, and yet here she was yelling and playing paintball with her daughter and the woman who had caused her such grief. Snow laughed, this was really getting weird.

A few minutes later Emma returned with Regina. Tying her too the tree with Snow. Regina looked up at Emma who stared at her thoughtfull. _Am I to be company for Snow? _Regina shuddered at the thought_ Would I be asked a question? Or worst of all, okay second worst thing, did she know I had her last flag and that a simple demand would bring it back to her?_

Emma thought for a moment before turning to disappear into the yellow territory. _Shit! _Regina thought for the upteenth time that day.

Katherine and Elise returned with their red flag, Haley in tow. Desiree, surprisingly, escorted Madeline, who flapped a green flag as though she were a Southern belle close to a swoon. Manically they laughed as Madeline slapped it down for two hundred points.

"I wouldn't be too cocky," Regina said. "You might want to give thought to your own territory Dez, Haley." Then she got a taste of the maniac chuckle.

The two women scanned the area and quickly determined that one badass Sheriff was missing. Their thought to defend came too late, though, as Emma appeared from the red territory and plopped two yellow flags on the blessed picnic table.

"One hundred and two hundred!" She exclaimed. Then she turned to Regina, "I saw your big purplie one in there, too, but I'm sorry; I just couldn't lift it." From her back pocket, she retrieved her own green flag, saying, "But I did manage to lift ours."

Haley and Desiree seethed. Regina had no problem with mercy. The blonde had it coming.

Eventually, Abigail came to the tree jail, stating that time was up for the two of them, and Regina had never felt better to be released and away from Snow White. Far, far away. Abigail loosened the ropes, and Snow hugged her daughter proudly. Regina on the other hands rolled her eyes at the two women, jammed her hand down her shirt and pulled out a green flag.

"It's amazing what you miss, Miss Swan, you don't seem very well at paying attention." She sped to the picnic table for the ritual slap on the table as the air horn was pulled yet again.

**XXX**

Felicia read aloud the scores to the group of women standing in front of her. "Katherine and Elise have one of their flags plus a yellow one. They have three hundred points and are in need of a great miracle. Regina and Madeline are in third with seven hundred. They have one of their own flags, plus a red, two yellows, and a green. Haley and Desiree are in second with eight hundred. They have none of their own flags, but hold two greens and a red. And finally, we have M and Emma in first with nine hundred points, but don't let that intimidate you. They have none of their own flags and only two purples."

Elation, deflation: a lot a like it seemed. Emma and Snow were in first but they were also in big ass trouble if the women surrounding them had any say in it. Apparently they did.

"Now get a move on!" Abigail exclaimed, "The games back on!"

"Wait a minute, you guys," Elise said and then paused until all attention was had. "We decided that we're going to quit and just watch. Like one of our hostesses pointed out, we'd need a miracle at this point."

Dissension erupted, but Katherine shouted, "It's really okay. It's actually more fun for us to watch. We have a little area all set up here." She pointed to the lawn chairs and makeshift log-table. "So cut us old gals some slack and respect our wishes. It'll still be fun for us."

Then Elise said, "But we've still got out flag and a yellow one. In the spirit of the game, we've decided to let you got into our territory. Fight to the death if you have to, but they're in there for you to find. We've also taken down our spell sign so you don't have to worry about making like an alarm."

Everyone was a little disappointed, but it had been apparent they had not really been participating. They were a lot older then anyone else in the group, if you didn't count frozen time and only physical appearance. Perhaps they would enjoy being spectators more than getting shot at with paintballs.

Everyone did as instructed, forming a cluster at the front corner of yellow zone. Katherine and Elise wisely stoof off to the side. Everyone bent at ready, each eager to run over the others in pursuit of the prizes. Emma and Snow need them more than any other team.

Katherine yelled, "Go!" and everyone blasted off only to encounter that elation/deflation phenomenon.

"Goddess!" Elise instantly yelled, "Bow down, you idiots!"

Emma scoffed and looked towards Regina. That was more something Regina would say then be told. But believe it or not with a growl Regina did just that along with the rest of the group. Never in her days did Emma ever think she would see Regina bow down to anyone.

"I think I stepped into a portal," Snow said from the spot she was bowed down beside Emma. "Regina is bowing down," Snow laughed. "This day just gets weirder and weirder."

Emma looked to her mother as she crouched down to a bow while making the Twilight Zone sound. _Weird it was_.

"Goddess! Goddess!" Elise crowed.

Once everyone was bowed down on the ground. Katherine yelled, "Get them!"

Elise dropped the charm beanbag and opened fire with her gun in a way that would have left Snow in utter awe if she could be able to see it through the massive explosion of red paint.

"Idiots! Idiots!" Elise exclaimed.

_What happened to not wanting to do this? That this was Katherine's idea? _Emma thought as she looked to a very red and green Regina. It was true they were all idiots. There was a rule in life. Never trust strangers...and yet they had done just that.

The two women happily tied everyone to the jail tree, gloating, giddy, and glorying in their trickery. Then Elise made a beeline for the yellow territory while Katherine headed into purple. Apparently, green held no allure anymore, and for once Emma was glad.

Everyone sat like dunces until the two women returned, barely in time to set everyone free. Elise slapped down Emma's and Snow's green three hundred and their own one hundred. Katherine did the same with their three hundred, a yellow one hundred, and a green one hundred. _Shit! _Emma thought to herself.

They came to untie the group, but by the example Regina and Madeline had set previously, they first did a dance around the tree, taunting everyone. It looked like the rain dance, but it sure as hell didn't feel like it.

Everyone finally stood in front of them, beaten and actually looking as bloody as they all looked, all covered in bright red splotches of paint.

**TBC - Part Two**


	9. Savages (Part 2)

**Okay another long chapter and still loads of character. I know that at least one of you didn't like that many characters but for paintball it had to happen. This chapter takes a more serious turn that will come to a conclusion in the next chapter so hopefully you still find some humor in the chapter. So I hope you all enjoy.**

**Disclaimer**** - Once Upon A Time and Rosalyn Wraight do not belong to me. Just borrowing.**

**XXX**

A small break was held in between the madness. Team mate went to team mate, each face looking like they had buttered them and spent hours under a blazing sun. They were solid red except for the where the goggles had been, and Emma had to keep from laughing at the brunette when she removed her goggles, because one, that would be her death sentence and two, well she was sure she didn't look any better.

Snow waved the two women over too her and gingerly tried wiping the paint from their faces, half way through she realized that at least half of the red on Regina's face came from anger. The brunette was livid at being duped.

Katherine and Elise in the moments everyone knew them figured out that they had away about them that sucked people in. Perhaps it was their age and the thought that they would be more responsible than any of the other members in the group and that they would be trustworthy.

Felicia and Abigail laughed heartily, and then Felicia said. "Now _that _was strategy! Looks like war has been declared. Put your warpaint on, girls, and get moving before they come up with something else." Then she reminded Katherine and Elise that they needed to toss the Goddess charm into another territory.

"Warpaint-good idea, Felicia." Desiree grabbed Madeline's hand and ordered, "Come on, everybody!"

The group followed the Detective to the fire pit, where she proceeded to take a charred piece of wood and make long stipes on Madeline's face. The rest followed suit until the warpaint turned us from women in Ranbow wannabe's. They headed back to their zones, and Desiree yelled to Katherine and Elise, "Webster and Newman, you die within the hour. Be afraid."

But they didn't look very afraid and their gloating only worsened when Abigail yelled at the retreating backs, "Katherine and Elise are now tied with Mary-Margaret and Emma for first place with nine hundred points."

With that being said, Snow yanked Madeline, Emma and Regina aside an idea popping up into her head. She needed to take them out. This was war. It was necessary to win and if she had to team up with her worst enemy to do so than she was going to do it. Oh god she could imagine what Charming would say if he were here now.

"Can you get one into your territory?" Snow asked towards Regina and Madeline. "You take one out; we'll get the other."

Regina thought this through for a moment and Emma knew she was more than likely thinking through working with her mortal enemy than actually winning the game. This whole game had turned into being a test of sorts. It proved that yes they could get along without killing one another, but what would happen when they ended up back in the real world. Would they still want to kill each other? Was this all just a facade to hide who they really were? Was it all a lie?

"I'll see what we can do. You two go tell Desiree and Haley to be ready."

Emma and Snow quickly ran across the path and told them that when they heard the call to charge that they should hit the red zone from the back. It took some convincing that they weren't planning to dupe them before the two women nodded and trudged of to their positions.

Emma watched Snow manically fill her paintball hopped and Emma could almost see the gears turning in Regina's head at an idea to destroy Snow White and Prince Charming once and for all. With a smile and a chuckle she gave the former Mayor two thumbs-up which was reciporcated with a nod.

"So you two are just going to protect your spoils and screw the rest of the game?" Regina shouted to Katherine and Elise. "Only brave once I see."

Emma could see them smiling from their lawn chairs, but she knew if there was one person on the planet that could tempt even Saint Peter to strike out at someone it was Regina. She knew how to play people, she played Emma and Emma wouldn't deny it.

"Oh, come on, Elise," Snow yelled stepping up beside Regina. "I don't think I'd have the guts to shoot you anyway, but I want to find out."

"You could, and you would, M, in a heartbeat. We saw what you did to the others. You masacred them." Elise snorted.

"How about you, Katherine?" Regina yelled, seemingly conspiring with Snow for a plan. "Are you more gutsy than your partner?"

Katherine said nothing.

"How about this?" Snow suggested. "I'll put Regina out on the path and I'll put my gun down. Just you and me, Katherine. I'll give you a thirty-second head start."

Katherine was unimpressed.

"Okay, and I'll hop," she said, upping the ante. "Just hopping. No running. Come on, it'll be fun. Elise can protect your area with her gun. Apparently, she's a pretty good shot. We're all red."

Katherine fell for it and slowly approached. Emma bet it had more too do with her pride than anything else, that or, she wanted to watch Snow make a fool of herself, while she was hopping up and down after her.

"Okay, Regina, get out on the path." Katherine demanded.

It was Regina's turn to be unimpressed by such demands, either way she complied with a scowl thrown in Snow's direction for creating such a plan. She stood outside of the zone, on the path hands raised. Emma held back the laugh at the thought of her mother and Regina working together, god, what would the masses in Storybrooke think? The Evil Queen and Snow White working together for the greater good, or a paintball game at least...still working together. Now to apply that to outside of the game.

Katherine stepped over the tape and stood several feet away from the unarmed Snow. "You're going to look awfully stupid, M, but I'm trusting you."

Snow called 'go' and started counting to thirty, raising her voice with each chuck of green painted landscape that Katherine left in her wake. "Thirty!" she eventually yelled and then started hopping.

Emma looked towards Regina at the sight of her mother hopping after the physically older woman. She could tell the brunette was wanting to laugh, it wasn't everyday you got to see your arch nemsis in such a compromising position. Slowly Emma kept pace with Snow from their zone, fearing Katherine would pull a Desiree/Haley number and roll into their side. Katherine looked to feeling as if she was running for her life.

A few minutes later Emma and the others saw Katherine in full sprint heading back to the front, a purple flag tagging along in her hand. Snow hopped as fast as she could, which was a sight all by itself, but it soon became apparent that she wouldn't get to her in time. Emma flew over the tape, and ran as fast as she could to catch Katherine, and bring her to a whiplashing halt with her arm. Emma held her as the older woman bitched about cheating and the hopping Snow made her way towards them.

"Be smart and drop the flag, Katherine!" Snow thought ahead, not wanting to trade a jail term for a request. "Drop it!" It held authority, well whatever authority a paintball gun weilding maniac Snow White could have.

Katherine did so, and Snow tagged her immediately. True to her word, Snow hopped her all the way to jail. Madeline and Regina were waiting for them, and when Emma was within sight they both gave her the 'I'm going in' nod. Eliminating Elise was the easy part, securing the flags was even harder, especially when it became apparent that the group was missing two of it's members.

"Desiree!" Emma yelled.

"Haley!" Regina yelled after her.

"At the picnic table!" was the reply from both women, yelled across the paintball grounds.

It didn't take long for Regina to deduce what had happened. "We've been screwed again, you guys!" She shouted kicked at the groud roughly bringing dirt up with her black booted foot. She looked pissed beyond pissed.

Emma brought Regina back down with a yell to everyone. "Everybody get back to your own territory!"

The group did an about-face and hauled ass back to their own zones. Emma instead chose to jump the tape behind the mound to try and make a desperate attempt to capture that last green flag in yellow land. Emma ran frantically, looking, searching, wanting it more than life itself. She came to a screeching halt, the goddamn spell jumped right out in front of her, almost mockingly. "I feel pissy, oh so pissy. I feel pissy and snitty and gay," Emma screamed as she made a crazed dash to exit their territory before she could be captured.

Emma dove over the tape, like a football player dove for the the football, she rolled onto the path before either women had a chance to tag her.

Desiree stared down at her laughing.

"You cannot be trusted for a moment can you?" Emma asked the Detective. Who would have thought, a Detective? "Go away amd leave me to my humiliation. Haley, get her away from me before I break some rules."

The two women left slowly, filling the area with diabolical laughter. Emma just layed there, sensing a snap, crackle and pop about herself.

"Are you okay Miss Swan?!" Regina called from her territory.

Emma assured her that she was as she methodically and covertly rolled further down the path, away from the inner sanctum and the bitching and the gloating that emanated. When she reached the corner of the yellow territory, Emma crept on her stomach, remembering exactly where she had spied their green flag in her show-tune sprint. She eventually had it, rose, and flew back to the path. Since there were no points to be had for recapturing your own flag, Emma merely moseyed over to Regina and showed her the prize.

"How bad was the damage?" Emma asked of her paintball enemy, her paintball frenemy.

Regina sighed, "Really bad. They got every single flag out of Katherine and Elise's territory. Not only did they take first place, but they doubled it. Eighteen hundred points!"

They were screwed, screwed to the wall by those good for nothing Detective and Commercial Airline pilot, they were supposed to be people with good souls or whatever crap they said about good people. "Any more brilliant suggestions?" Regina asked of Snow rather snidely.

Emma was beginning to understand the undertone to that. She didn't like being duped, from what she knew from her past and present, her whole life she was being duped and lied too.

"Don't go blaming this on us. You trusted them, too," Snow asserted.

Trust. The one thing people crave. The one thing people lose. The one thing people don't always have. The one thing people must earn, but, they don't always follow through.

"I want to kill them," Madeline said bringing up the rear behind Snow. "Not really, and I don't really want to hurt Desiree but I want to kill them, figur-"

Regina placed a hand over the womans mouth when she stepped up beside them. It was apparent from Regina's eye roll that the woman could ramble and Regina was just stopping it before it started.

Then it dawned on Emma. She felt the grand _aha _ of an epiphany resuscitate her. "Good souls. They're good souls. A pilot and a Detective," she said.

"They are no such thing," Snow corrected, the epitome of good...right? The look and sound of disbelief from Regina said otherwise. "Desperation is making you deluded."

Emma shook her head. "No think about it. Seriously. Think about who they are, one is a Detective whose dedicated her life to helping others and the other is a Commercial Airline pilot who has dedicated her life to flying people safely across vast distances. Safely." Taking a breath she continued, "They think they're good little Samaritans." Then, she proposed, "Let's give them something to Samartian-ize."

"That's not a word, Miss Swan," Regina said with a dramatic roll of her eyes and a shake of her head. "God help my son and his English."

"I know bloody well that it's not a word. Thank you. Desperate times call for desperate English, and he's just as much my son as-"

"Both of you shut up!" Snow yelled. She had seen this before, once they started it took them forever to stop, and things usually ended up sailing through the air.

"Wait you two share a son?" Madeline asked from her position next to Snow.

"It's a lo-"

Regina cut Emma off. "He's my son but Miss Swan here believes just because she had him that he's hers. Where was she for the past ten years? Where was she as he was growing up? All the diapers? Grades? Birth-"

"That is so cool you two share a son, that's commitment to your relationship," she paused thinking that through. "Even though you two fight over him, it's still commitment."

Regina and Emma looked between each other and quickly corrected, far too quickly, "We aren't together!"

Madeline gave them a look of disbelief.

"They aren't." Snow added.

Another look of disbelief.

"Annnnd, back to the plan." Regina said drawing the attention away from their _supposed _relationship. "I've got an idea for the good Samaritans."

With the plan conspired and agreed upon, Emma and Snow meandered back into the center of their own territory and moved to a prone position beside each other. Regina and Madeline sat and merely tried to look as though they were plotting, Regina ignoring the questions about her relationship with Emma and concentrating elsewhere but at the woman shooting her looks of disbelief.

Emma shot to her feet and screamed, "I'm going for our three-hundred flag! Sn-Mary-Margaret get your gun and cover me!"

With that Emma and Snow took off deep within their own territory. Both Regina and Madeline took off after them, screaming a few threats and insults for good measure. They caught up too the mother and daughter, and all four quickly entered purple territory.

"We're trusting you!" Madeline reminded.

Emma cringed. Trust such a big thing. Such a hard thing to earn, and yet so easy to lose. This was going to hurt someone.

They waited. Talked, ignored more questions about the Emma/Regina relationship from Madeline who still was in disbelief. She rattled off a few reasons as to why she believed they were in a relationship before Emma scooped the woman up and the group made their trek back to the inner sanctum. "Madeline's hurt!" Emma screamed, all the while thinking through the consequences to what she was about to do.

Snow added, "She fell over a log! We think she pulled a muscle in her leg or something. Help us!"

Madeline let out a very unconvincing moan; the woman didn't appear to be a very good actress, or drama queen.

"Maybe we should have given the injured damsel part to your mother. She play's it better." Regina whispered to Emma, ignoring the snort of disbelief and the eye roll coming from the woman in Emma's arms.

Quickly, all six of the women zoomed into green territory, and Regina yelled. "Haley, grab my sleeping bag so we can set her down!" She was good at giving orders, but other's were even better at obeying her orders.

Haley brought it as the crowd surrounded Madeline, who was very gently placed onto the sleeping bag by Emma. Regina desperately tried to look worried, and she tried desperately not to make eye contact with anyone. She was good at lying and playing people but most of the time she didn't have too, she could just laugh and remind them who was smarter than all of them, who was the more convincing off the two, and then do away with whoever it was she was fooling.

In an instant, the evil good Samaritans were ministering to her. Desiree carefully scanned Madeline's leg with the utmost care, her fingertips running over the womans leg. "Tell me when it hurts," she instructed.

"Do you have any ice in that camper of yours?" Regina asked of Felicia and Abigail.

"Yes!" Felicia replied. "I'll go." She spun on her heels and made for the camper.

"Please, can I go?" Regina asked, "I feel so useless. She is my partner so I'll go."

For anybody who didn't know Regina, would have thought she was being truthful and the look off pure uselessness on the brunette's face was pretty convincing. However Emma and Snow looked to one another as Felicia nodded and Regina moved away from the group circling her paintball partner. Emam felt really bad and it was only getting worse. Moving to the back of the group Emma, Snow and Regina disappeared into the yellow territory. All acting left behind.

They scurried through the yellow zone, laughing hysterically but trying to do so without a sound. While Emma prayed for forgiveness with what she was about to do. One, two, three, they plucked the flags from the ground. Four, five, six, they plucked some more. Seven! Yeah they had cleaned them out! Regina started her victory dance and let out a few out of character for her whoops and hollers, knowing that the time for stealth and lies had drawn to a close.

But, apparently her cohorts had other plans. She shouldn't have trusted them. Trusting your arch nemsis is like Superman trusting Lex Luther, it wasn't bound to end well, and this was just another reason Regina trusted no one. _You brought this on yourself_ Regina's inner voice told her _believing Snow friggin White and her daughter. You are stupid Regina, of course they were to screw you over. Everyone screws you over eventually Regina. When will you lea- _Regina's inner dialogue was cut short when Snow jumped her, and she fell to the ground. Snow straddled her stomach and plastered her hands to the ground yelling, "Get them, Emma! She had three!"

With that discombobulating little announcement, Emma picked Regina clean of flags with a sad, guilty smile. Snow jumped of Regina and ran through the zones towards the inner sanctum. With a small, once more, guilty smile Emma said, "I'm sorry." Turning she followed her partner in crime, her paintball partner...her mother.

Regina just lay there, utterly stunned and hating herself.

**XXX**

"Fifteen bloody hundred points!" Snow and Emma yelled.

High fives were given between the two relatives, as a ruckus went up amongst the others, having figured out that they had been duped. "Madeline, how could you?" It was asked but with a small giggle and chuckle from each member.

But, everything Regina heard came from a distance much further than she could reach. In the recess's of the mind. She lay still, and she could feel her throat closing, constricted by a shriek that made her afraid. Unmoving, she fought not to cry. She would not. She could not. She had brought this on herself and sure it was all a game, but trust, trust was no game. That truth came from a distance beyond her grasp.

The game was brought to a short break. Just enough to recuperate and grab a drink and maybe a snack. Emma looked over the forrested zones of numerous colors.

"You okay?" Snow asked stepping up beside her daughter and brushing a strand of hair away with tenderness.

"Yeah," Emma nodded sounding unconvincing.

"Your a worse actor than Madeline and she was terrible." Snow looked out over the zones finally realizing that Regina still hadn't made the trek back yet. She knew it was a bargain. She knew how Regina felt about trust and they had all but shattered that with their little stunt. But it was all a game. That made everything better didn't it? "It's just a game."

Emma looked over towards her mother. "Just a game?" Emma asked with disbelief, looking around her she took her mother by the crook in her elbow and dragged her away from the group of women. "Her whole life she's trusted people only to be let down. She built up her walls to protect herself from being hurt, let down and betrayed, and just when I think she's beginning to let them down and let herself, her real self shine through, we go and pull a stunt like this."

"Em-"

Emma shook her head and cut her mother off. "Did you know that she lost her true love," Emma stomach clenched and her heart hurt at the thought but she ignored it. "That she lost her true love trusting in someone, only to be betrayed."

Snow swallowed. "Did she say who?"

Emma blinked, "Err, no, why does it matter? She was betrayed. Whoever did that to her turned her into who she was."

"I'm sure it was an accident, she was just young, a little girl, she didn't know any better." Snow said.

Emma tilted her head in curiosity. That was not what she was expecting. "I never told you how young they were, or that they were a girl." Emma advanced on her mother while Snow backed up a few steps. Things were slowly starting to come together.

"Lucky gues-"

"I don't think so." Emma said roughly. "How did you know that it was a little girl?"

Snow swallowed yet again and backed up further. Her daughter was advancing on her with an almost hateful predatory look. She hadn't seen her daughter look like that for quite a while and the last time she had looked like that had been at Whale, Cora and a few other people who had tried to hurt Regina. "Emma please, you ha-"

"Just answer the damn question."

Snow sighed, took a deep breath, raised her hands and started. "I was out riding one day when my horse was spooked, I don't know how or why but it just took off. I was literally hanging onto the horse, screaming as it galloped away. Regina," she smiled at the thought off her first meeting with the woman. "Regina, pulled me onto her horse, saving me from the spooked horse. She was kind, beautiful, amazing, everything I wanted to be."

"It doesn't answer the question." Emma told her with a cold tone.

"I'm getting there," Snow said hands still raised. "My father was king, and, when he heard about what Regina had done, he requested and audience with her. I heard that he had proposed to her. I was ecstatic to find out that she had accepted. I didn't think to much into it, I was just happy that this woman was going to be my mother, this wonderful woman who I adored above most everything else. She could never fill my mother's shoes but to me she was damn close, perhaps back then she was even more so good and perfect than my mother." Snow swallowed, this was more difficult than she thought it would be. "When she saved me I told her I never wanted to get back on a horse again, but she told me that to be able to get over it to get back on the horse. I was following what she said, when I spotted her and Daniel kissing in the stables. I was, confused is a good way to say it, and hurt. This...woman," Snow said with a bow off her head. "She was everything I ever wanted to be, and she was to be my mother. So I ran feeling that she was betraying my father by being with that man. She caught up to me and told me how she cared about my father but she didn't love him like she did Daniel. She told me the true meaning of love and told me about how she was planning to run away with Daniel, so they could be together. She asked me to keep it a secret." Snow spoke with tears now streaming down her face. "Cora met up with me later and she was just so convincing, I didn't thin-"

"Tell me," Emma pleaded with a shake of her head. She knew what was coming but she couldn't bear to hear the truth. "Please tell me you didn't."

"So damn convincing." Snow said with a sad smile, the tears wetting her lips. "Everything, and just like that Regina began to change, slowly at first but the deeper she went, the worse she became and the quicker she changed. I never truly did find out what happened to Daniel until my father died and the kingdom became hers."

"She hid it from y-"

"It wasn't something a little girl should hear."

Emma and Snow both turned to the voice.

"Part of me knew it wasn't your fault." Regina stood there looking vulnerable. Such so, Emma wanted to pull her close and hug away the woman's insecurities. "But the more I time I spent in your presence and the more my mother continued at me, and Rumpel started at me, it sort of became engrained that you were the cause for all of this."

"I never meant it."

"Perhaps, you didn't, but what's done is done." Regina spoke slipping hands into her pockets.

Emma could see the walls rebuilding themselves at lightening speed. Blocking out any chance of reasoning. Emma opened her mouth to say something, anything, just to get those walls to stop their fortifying path, but she was cut off.

"Ladies, you three ready?" Felicia asked. "Everything good?" She asked with a curious look.

Regina quickly slipped into regal mode and turned to the woman with a fake smile on her face. The same one she had when Emma had met her for the first time. "We're fine. Let's finish this game."

And just like that Emma watched everything fall back into the way things had been in Storybrooke. Regina falling into the Evil Queen persona. Snow fearing the wrath of what the Evil Queen would do to her, and, Emma, distraught on what the hell she was supposed to do. In one way it was her mother, but in another this was the woman who had caused all of this. Yep everything was back to the way it was in Storybrooke.

**XXX**

A few minutes later everybody arrived back at the inner sanctum and over to where Abigail was sitting with a tally point sheet. Regina looked over the sheet, inhaled and calmly walked over to her paintball partner. Emma and Snow's little, or better yet big stunt had catapulted them above everyone else by a milestone of twenty two hundred points.

Without a word Emma watched Regina and Madeline make their way back to their territories along with the other groups. Emma nudged Snow and quickly they trudged without a word back to their own territories. The game had somewhat become sombre, or, maybe it was just them three.

Regina was concocting a plan to get back what was hers when Desiree, Haley and the other quickly siddled up to them on the safe side of the purple tape. In awkward silence they each stared at one another.

Desiree finally blurted, "I'm sorry, you guys!"

That was followed by the Elise, Katherine, and Haley versions.

Madeline jumped in, "It's just a game. Nothing to apologize for, right?" She looked in Regina's direction.

Regina nodded, although unconvincingly as she kept her eye on the green zone members, who were once again prone in their zone.

"Well it's us against Emma and M now." Elise pointed out, "It's time for payback."

Desiree smirked evily, a smirk that could have compared to Regina's, "Then let's take them down."

"What do you mean by 'take them down'?" Madeline asked of Desiree.

"Simple," she replied. "Take the stupid flags from them. They wanted them so badly. Well, they've got them, but they don't seem very happy, do they?"

Regina held back the snort of disbelief. The only reason they were unhappy was because after so long the truth had finally come out, and Snow wasn't as innocent as she seemed. It had nothing to do with the flags and more to do with the fact that Snow had been caught out, after so long, people, well Emma got see the real Snow behind all over her perfectness.

"What if I just went over there...and got them going again?" Madeline suggested. "Dared them or something? Made M shoot me or something? Just make them laugh."

"Madeline," Regina turned to her paintball parnter. "Quit being nice. They plowed us over to take flags from us. Now you want to walk over there and be their victim again. We take back what's ours and give them a piece of our minds." Oh she felt good. She felt powerful. Oh yes the bitch was back.

"Well, I've had my fill of joining forces only to get screwed over." Madeline said, and everybody turned to face Desiree.

"Okay, you got me. I swear, from here on out. I won't switch sides. If I say I'm with you guys, I'll stay with you." She quickly looked towards Madeline and added, "I swear, Maddy, I really am trustworthy-under normal circumstances."

Madeline laughed.

**XXX**

A plan was concocted and it quickly went off without a hitch. Everybody scampered to green zone and sunk their fingers into the territory, grabbing any and every flag inside. By the time they returned to the inner sanctum, Emma was slipping out from the tent. Regina moved away from the group and over towards her Hummer, feeling Emma tagging along quietly behind her.

"Miss Swan?" Regina acknowledged.

"Sn-Mar-Mo-she went to sleep." Emma spoke while Regina popped open the back of the Hummer and rummaged through it. Refusing to look towards Emma. "Did you guys all pay us back in full?"

Regina felt somewhat relieved that Emma at least acknowledged that something had happened and that it came with a price.

"Did you?" Emma asked again, "How bad was it?"

"Are you sure you want to know Miss Swan?" It was cold and dormant, but at least she was talking.

Emma assured Regina that she wouldn't have asked if she didn't want an answer. Regina hoped that one day she would learn to respect the simple logic in that, but sadly that day would be far off for her.

"Everybody, picked you guys clean. We all got our flags back, and Madeline and I have all three of yours," Regina stated plainly, still rumaging around in the back of the Hummer.

Emma could see it was a distraction, the brunette wasn't really looking for anything. It was just and attempt to cloud her mind, to take her attention away. It was obvious that things weren't just going to go back to the way they were, not so easily, it was going to take time and Emma was going to make damn sure that she would fix this.

**XXX**

Regina barreled after Emma who flew over the purple and green twist of tape. She didn't know what Emma was up too, all she did know was that she was going to hunt the blonde down and finally bring her to justice, perhaps not masacred justice but justice non-the-less. She couldn't really kill the woman in front of so many people, people that she had slowly started to begin to like.

Emma ran wildly in circles, zigzags, and unexpected straight lines, frantically searching for the blessed flags, she looked behind trees while trying to keep an eye on Regina in the decreasing distance. Soon she yelled, "Purple two hundred!" This plan was currently working.

Instead of aiming for the inner sanctum or even her own territory to secure her loot, she kept on with her crazed search. "Green one hundred," she yelled and did an about-face, which would have sent her back in Regina's direction.

Regina pulled to a stop and held her arms out in a capture stance. Emma ran to the left, to the right, and again speeding deeper into purple's territory.

"Miss Swan!" Regina yelled.

"Regina!" Emma answered.

Full steam ahead, Regina charged. They were nearly to the back fence when Emma plucked the purple three hundred and started running like hell in the opposite direction. Regina quietly hoped that Madeline was around somewhere with her gun at ready, because she was slowly starting to realize, that the Sheriff, was quite capable of outrunning her. But she was not about to lose the flags without a fight. With a quick look around she noted nobody was in the vicinity and quickly she enveloped herself in smoke and appeared in front of Emma who came to screeching halt. Turned and hauled ass in the opposite direction, all the while screaming, Regina couldn't hide the small smile at the fear in Emma's eyes. Once again she enveloped herself in smoke and appeared a small distance in front of Emma who wiped out in fear, skidding through the leaves and dirt to a dead stop.

Regina pounced, she sat on her, as Emma rolled over. Regina was laughing hysterically, and gloating when she saw her vacantly staring at her. Not one fiber fought to defend herself, so different from the Emma Swan she knew. And then it hit her, like a tonne of bricks - without the actual flattening and the life threatening impact that could come from bricks falling on someone.

"Miss Swan!" Regina screeched as she stood up. "Get up and run!" She said glaring at the immobile figure. "You knew I would do that. You did all this on purpose. I don't want the goddamn flags!"

Emma refused to move. Regina kicked the blonde in the leg and screamed again, "Get up and move Miss Swan!"

"You captured me. What's running going to do?"

"Bullshit!" Regina yelled, this wasn't supposed to be happening. She was supposed to be making the blonde pay, but no instead here she was pleading with the blonde to get up and run and not give in and make everything right. Nobody ever made things right for her. That was her life. That was what she was subjected too. Nobody got to change the rules. _Nobody! _With fire in her eyes Regina turned to the blonde, ignited a fire ball in her hand and Emma stood with slight fear in her eyes.

"Just take the flags Regina, we'll call it even." Emma pleaded.

"Even?!" Regina scoffed, "You have no idea what it would take to be even with me."

Emma shook her head. "Nothin could ever be even to what she did to you. Nothing could ever compare, and I know deep down it hurts-"

"You don't know a thing. Your so blind and ignorant to the truth around you, that you believe whatever your told."

"It hurts Regina, I know, okay? But I am not my mother, I am not your mother, I am not Whale, or Gold, I'm here begging you Regina to forgive me and I know deep down inside that you want too."

"You do-"

"I want the Regina that I learn-well tried learning to sail with, back. I want the Regina that I went to Cedar Point with back. I want the Regina that crashed a party of got even with a mortal enemy, back. I want that Regina back, this isn't you." Emma shook her head holding out her hands, flags laying strewn all over the ground.

"Clearly your mistaken, this is me, the person before wasn't."

"No!" Emma said adamantly, "This isn't you. This is who you turn into when things get tough, when things go wrong," standing straight Emma shook her head. "You hide behind this facade pretending to be someone your not just so you don't have to risk being hurt. But you know what? Being hurt is a part of life, being betrayed happens, these things happen. I admired the way you got through things like that by picking yourself up and pushing, but now, now I realize that it's all a lie."

The fireball in Regina's hand slowly diminshed. "You have no idea what I've gone through."

"No," Emma shook her head again and approached the woman, "But I'm here, and I want to know. I'm not going anywhere."

Regina felt the tear slip from her left eye and travel down her face. She crumpled, fireball well and truly diminished, and just like Emma promised, she was there. Catching Regina in her arms, wrapping her own around the brunette. Rocking the woman back and forth lightly as she sobbed lightly into Emma's shoulder. It wasn't fixed, not by a long shot, but...it was a start.

**XXX**

The game quickly ended and the winner was awarded their trophy. With playful glares Snow and Emma accepted the trophy, a small speech, some gloating, paper throwing in place of tomatoes, and laughter. The group had become somewhat of a family. They each traded phone numbers, spent dinner together eating and noisely packed up their equipment.

As Regina was the first to pull away from the camping grounds, 'good luck on the bucket list' was thrown around as well as 'goodbye' and 'keep in touch'. With a smile and wave all three women departed along with the black Hummer. Now alone, Emma sat quietly beside Regina in the passenger seat and Snow continued to look down at her feet in silence.

"Snow?" Regina pulled to a stop.

They were in the middle of nowhere and sure they had friends who would more than likely give Snow a ride but still it was scary to think that Regina would kick the pixie haired woman out of the vehicle and leave her on the side of the road.

"Yes?" She asked hesitantly.

Regina exited the Hummer pulled open the back door and held out the keys. "Care to drive?"

Snow blinked. "Uh, sure?"

"Is that a question or an answer?" Regina asked.

"Yes, yes, I would love to drive."

With a nod Regina handed the keys over and backed away until Snow was unbuckled and into the driver seat. Regina jumped into the back, looking towards Emma she found the blonde with a small genuine smile. Regina gave a small one of her own back.

"Just be careful."

"How hard could it be?" Snow snorted.

**XXX**

"What is it a family thing?!" Regina yelled.

"I'm still not getting any signal," Emma said holding out her phone in the air.

"Hey I saw a squirrel-"

"It was a squirrel, did you have to drive us into a ditch?!" Regina yelled.

Snow bottom lip trembled, "Not just a squirrel. It had a family!"

"That's it." Regina shook her head and quickly ignited her hand again. "Start running Snow White."

Emma turned away from her phone in the air, to the two women to find her mother sprinting down the long stretch of road in the middle of nowhere with a furious Regina giving chase behind her. Looking back towards the Hummer that lay awkwardly in the ditch she spotted the squirrel sitting in the tree happilly or mockingly chewing away at a nut. Turning back to the two women she shook her head again, yep life was good.

**Okay yes I did a little 'Adventure's Of Cora Mills' thing there but it was so hard not too. So hopefully everyone is okay with that. Next chapter hopefully up sooner than this one. Hope you enjoyed. Not edited yet so mistakes are bound to be in there. Sorry.**


	10. Viva Las Vegas

**Okay I have to let you guys know that this is all out craziness, a small tad of movie 'The Hangover' but I did a lot of things differently. Also, some references in this chapter may have connections to the one-shot that ties in with this chapter and explains the link between the last chapter and this one 'A Day At The Carnival'. If you haven't read it, it's not really necessary but it may help to make more sense of things. Hopefully it adds up to what you expect from a chapter from a story like this.**

**XXX**

Regina kept herself looking straight ahead as she took in the glamour. Yet, to her right in the passenger seat and in the back seat of the large hulking vehicle they were sitting in, the two women had their faces plastered too the windows looking at all the different colored, flashing and non-flashing lights. Regina wanted to tell the two women to get their faces away from her pristine window or they'd be cleaning it, but she didn't have the heart. Yes, surprising.

"Oh my god!" Snow exclaimed from the back seat. "Look at that light, it spins."

"Yes dear, very, interesting." Regina said plainly and very uninterested.

"So what's the plan?" Emma asked looking over towards Regina and into the rear view mirror at her mother.

"Well, my flight isn't until the day after tomorrow." Snow pointed out.

"And I do have Las Vegas on my list." Regina added and Snow's face immediately lit up at the idea of spending a night on the town, in a town with so many pretty lights and strange looking people.

"Really? Las Vegas?" Emma shook her head, "I shouldn't be surprised. Why am I surprised?"

Snow clapped her hands together. "Oooh! Look at that fountain!" Snow exclaimed in joy yet again at the towering building with the spouting in wave's water fountain out the front.

"That is where we will be sleeping."

"Yeah, sleeping off hangovers." Emma retorted with a snort of sarcasm.

"Miss Swan, really?" Regina asked with disbelief. "You actually intend to drink after the last fiasco?"

"It's Vegas, baby!" Emma exclaimed with her own joy as she turned to look at the brunette.

Regina gave Emma a condescending look and chastised. "No, Miss Swan, no."

"To baby or drinking?" Emma asked.

Regina gave her a look. The look that said 'you really have to ask?'. "Both!"

**XXX**

Regina walked down the Bellagio hotel Penthouse Suite floor at the top looking for their room number while Emma behind them, huffed, strained and heaved to push the trolley full off their luggage out of the elevator they had just exited. Snow was following along behind Regina looking around at the luxury halls.

"Geez. Think you've got enough bags here, Regina? Did you, I don't know, forget the kitchen sink?" Emma asked in her normal sarcastic tone which made Regina roll her eyes.

"If I recall you told the young man whose job it was to push the trolley up, that you were going to do it. Not my fault you put yourself in this position. Although, I do find it quite difficult to hold back an 'I told you so'."

"Yeah, yeah," Emma rolled her eyes and strained to push the trolley along at the pace Regina and her mother were going. "At least a little assistance Regina. Please?"

Regina released a sigh but waved her hand nonetheless. The trolley jerked backwards once before along on its own. Emma looked around and quickly placed her hands on the side bars of the trolley, earning surprised looks from passing hotel guests at the ease of which she was pushing the trolley. She just smiled at them and flexed slightly.

"Finally!" Regina called from up front as she stepped up to the Penthouse Suite door that would be there's for the three nights they were in Vegas for. She popped the card into the lock, listened for the click and opened the door to a dark foyer. Regina fumbled around for a few minutes as she ran her hands along the wall near the door looking for a light switch.

"Stop!"

Regina and Emma both jumped at the scream that emanated from Snow White. It was one filled with terror, one she would only use if Regina went all Evil Queen on her and threatened her beloved Charming. Emma gave her a curious look, even Regina was giving her a "what the fuck?' look.

"We can't turn on the lights." Snow replied to the questioning looks.

"What on Earth are you talking about, Miss Blanchard?" Regina asked with a huff in her voice as she returned to her task of finding the light switch. She ignored a few more pleas from the woman before she found the switch, but before she could flick it on a large body careened into hers, tackling her to the ground with an 'oomph'. They rolled a few times before Regina had enough room to ignite a flame in her left hand menacingly. "Get off me." She ordered her voice low and deadly.

Emma yanked her mother up and away from Regina before anything bad happened and she would yet again have to take sides. Things weren't fixed by no means. They had a discussion. It more ignited then fixed things but it had set the 'food out on platter' so to speak, now all she was waiting for was someone to take the first bite. "Mom!" She looked at the pixie haired woman, "What up? Why no lights?" She asked gently and watched as Regina extinguished the hand and stood up brushing the imaginary dirt of herself. Emma would be surprised if the hotel workers weren't germ phobic. The place was so neat, it nearly made Regina seem normal.

"Remember what the man said?" Snow asked her daughter who shook her head, so she continued. "The story he told us about the woman returning to her dorm room?"

Emma paused and rolled her eyes. "It's just a story." She told her and quickly reached over towards the light switch she had seen Regina find before the woman had landed on the floor with her mother on top of her. She flicked it on and stepped into the foyer even more so. "See, nothing here." She told, waving her hands around the room.

Snow quietly and cautiously stepped into the room, Regina behind her. She glanced around the room taking in the furniture and surely the non-bloody writing on walls. It was clean. Sparkling nearly. Then the room went dark. A hand fell on her shoulder and-

"Boo!"

Snow screamed, jumped and landed in her daughter's eyes.

Regina laughed. Hard. In the midst of her amusement she switched the light back on and bent over in her fit of laughing. She didn't actually believe it would work, after all it was just them in the room, but from the sight before her; Snow in her daughter's arms clinging on for dear life in fear, it seemed it had worked. "I...can't...believe...you...fell...for...that," she managed between her laughter and heavy heaves for oxygen.

**XXX**

Regina woke with a groan and a strained neck. She opened her eyes to find herself looking out over the lights of Las Vegas. She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath of the city Las Vegas air. She smiled. She froze. Opened her eyes again and took in the sights before pushing herself backwards with a scream. She rolled over a separate body which also groaned, rolled over and pulled the blankets higher over their head.

Now fully awake, Regina took in the sights around her. She could see the fake monuments that were erected in Las Vegas as tourist's attractions. She could see the different hotels. The main road in Las Vegas. The strip. She could see the whole god damn Strip. The whole god damn Las Vegas Strip. Blinking furiously, she noted this wasn't a dream and quickly scampered over towards the other body. She yanked the blankets down from the head of the body curled underneath them. She expected blonde hair but came face to face with the mother of such person she was expecting. She shook her own head before shaking the woman roughly. "Snow!"

"Mmm, later, Regina." Snow mumbled. "I love you too Charming," Snow said lovingly in her sleep state.

Regina scrunched up her nose and squashed down the bile that tried forcing itself upwards. She shook the pixie haired woman even more violently. "Snow! God damn it woman!" _Well the good news is you know where Emma get's it from. _"Shut up!" Regina ordered her internal voice before returning to shaking the woman. "If you don't get up I will throw you off this building!" Snow didn't budge just smiled even wider and more lovingly. Regina rolled her eyes, leaned in closer towards the woman's ear and whispered in her Evil Queen voice, "Hope you enjoyed your sleep."

Snow shot upright at the tone and quickly scampered away until she felt herself slip and fall. She screamed as a hand clasped around her wrist. She looked up to find Regina looking down at her as she held on tightly to the woman. "Regina?"

Regina groaned as she held onto the not-so-light-as-she-looks woman. A brief thought flickered into her mind _this is your chance, Regina. All you have to do is let go and you can be rid of the woman. The very woman that caused you so much pain. Who betrayed you. Took your, Daniel, away from you._

Snow watched the expression of a woman trying to pull someone up from a ledge, slip from Regina's face to be replaced by a thoughtful expression. Then one she hadn't seen in so long. The Evil Queen face made her swallow, hard, she looked down the building to the small people that now resembled ants. Looking back up at Regina she noted the smirk that was spread across the woman's face.

_Do it! Let go! _The voice ordered. _You'll finally be rid of her and the best part is, you really can get away with it. She slipped, that's all. _Regina released her grip slightly and watched as Snow slipped until they were grasping hands instead of her grasping at the woman's wrist. _One more time, Regina! Do it! _It hit Regina. Hard and fast. That voice wasn't the same internal voice she had told to 'shut up' just a few seconds ago. No this one was the one she was trying to combat against. Trying to battle against. For Henry. For Emma. The very same Emma that's mother she was now holding onto.

Snow watched as Regina's expression changed once again. The battle of emotions. Of thoughts. Of actions. All played across, Regina's face as she continued holding onto the dangling Snow White. She wondered, was this the day the Evil Queen finally won, once again for all. "Regina," she said in a soft tone. "Please." She pleaded, begged.

Regina snapped her mind away from her thoughts and looked into the woman's eyes. She didn't see Snow White the woman, she saw Snow White the girl. The very girl she had saved from a runaway horse. _The very girl who betrayed you_ her Evil internal voice reminded her. She quickly countered it _the very girl that may have given me chance, through Emma_. She locked her free arm in place and heaved until Snow had enough of the ledge to grab onto and pull herself up onto the rooftop. _Noooooo! _Her mind screamed and somewhere deep inside, Regina she smiled.

On her hands and knees, Snow breathed deeply, taking in the oxygen to her burning lungs while she tried to calm her frantically beating heart. She glanced up at Regina. "You saved me."

Regina smiled, much like she did the day she had saved Snow from the runaway horse. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. Thank you." As she said it Snow had a flashback to that fateful day. She wondered if she hadn't told Cora about Daniel, would things have turned out the way they did?

"You can't hide from fate and you can't escape destiny." Regina answered for the woman, "Things...happen for a reason. Everything happens for a reason."

Snow blinked. She gave a weak smile of sadness to Regina before nodding. Dropping the conversation for the moment she looked around her. "Where are we?"

"On a roof." Regina answered.

"Where's Emma?" Snow inquired as she and Regina looked around the roof for any sight of the blonde. From what they could see. She wasn't there.

**XXX**

Emma shook her head from side to side as she woke up with a throbbing headache and blurry vision. It was a hangover and a rather large one at that. She opened her mouth to speak but at the taste of cloth in her mouth she shut it just as quickly. Looking around she moved to find her arms bound behind the chair. She struggled a few moments before a young looking Chinese man stepped forth. She eyed him curiously as he removed the gag.

"Well, well, you finally awake." He spoke in broken English but Emma understood non-the-less.

"What do you want with me?" Emma quickly asked.

"Nobody screws my boss over. He not very happy with you."

Emma scrunched up her face in confusion as more Chinese men carrying weapons entered. She looked around the room. "I want to speak to this...boss of yours."

Another man, much older, possibly in his fifties stepped up to her. "And what is it you wish to ask of me?" His English was much less broken but still the accent made it a little hard to read what he was saying.

"Why am I tied up?"

"You destroyed my Warehouse."

"Warehouse?" Emma asked with a odd look.

_**Previous Night**_

"Run!" Emma called out as she lit fireworks in the thought to be abandoned Warehouse.

Regina, Snow and Emma took off with a loud laugh and giggle. Ten minutes later all three women turned to face the exploding Warehouse. It shot off with a loud bang and instead off just a few escaping fireworks that would create a light show. The Warehouse went up with a rather loud bang as pink, purple, blue, green, red and other assortments of colors lit the sky.

Regina, Snow and Emma looked down at the box in the drunken blonde Sheriff's hands. Emma spoke first. "That's some powerful shit!" She exclaimed as they all nod in their haze turning back to the light show.

_**Present**_

"Ooooh," Emma drew out before frowning. "That Warehouse."

The men just nodded.

**XXX**

Regina barged into their Penthouse Suite room, Snow behind her hesitantly bringing up the rear. They had spent a good twenty minutes scouring the roof top. Running back and forth but now luck had been established. So with a shake of their heads they had ran down the stairs that lead to the top level and down the hall to their room where they now stood.

"She isn't here!" Snow exclaimed as she entered the foyer to find a 'forcing' herself to be calm, Regina.

"I've noticed, Snow." Regina said through gritted teeth as she rubbed her temples to try and ease the throbbing headache.

Both women stopped upon the low growl heard coming from the shared bedroom, bathroom. With a look at one another they stepped over towards the bathroom pressed their ears against the door, listening. A loud roar rose from behind the door and both Regina and Snow bounced away from it.

"What the hell was that?!" Snow exclaimed.

"I don't know. You want to find out?" Regina asked once again through gritted teeth.

"We have to know what's in there." Snow pointed out to the brunette.

"What the fuck do you think is in there?!" Regina yelled, yep way too much time around Emma. "A teletubbie going ROAR!"

Snow's brow furrowed. "What's a teletubbie?"

Regina sighed, stood up, grasped Snow's wrist and pulled the woman out of the room and down the hall. Shutting the door behind her. Sure housekeeping was going to get a surprise when they opened the bathroom, but wasn't it their job? If not...ah well, they probably wouldn't live to question it or complain. Regina gave a small shrug to the thought and continued dragging Snow down the hall. "What's the last thing you remember?" She asked as she punched in the elevator button.

Snow thought about that for a second.

_**Previous Night**_

Regina sat at a BlackJack table with Snow on one side and Emma on the other. They had each walked in with five thousand and now three hours later together they held a total of fifty thousand. They were nearing the limit that the Casino would start questioning.

Snow threw her cards on the table clearing yet another cache of chips. She smiled and giggled under her haze of drunkenness. She folded her arms around the poker chips and drew them towards her body. It was then that Emma noticed the penguin suit dressed Casino guards stepping up beside them.

"Ladies, can we have a word?"

Regina, Snow and Emma looked around at one another.

Regina thought about it. Not for long as she quickly screamed. "Screw it!" Flipped the table much like one would do in a movie, bounded over it and tore through the Casino with a brief but loud, "Run!" Thrown over her shoulder at the two other women who split in different directions.

They tore through the Casino and quickly joined up with one another at the slot machines. Sprinting down an isle they came face to face with three guards at the end of the isle, turning they came face to face with another three at the other end of the isle. They were blocked off.

Snow glanced around and quickly offered up. "Ever seen Tarzan?" She asked of the two women.

Regina shrugged. "Plenty. Henry loved the movie when he was younger."

Emma shrugged. "Always wanted to be Tarzan when I was five."

Together they nodded at each other and as the guards closed in they tore slot machines from their table onto the ground below causing a few guards to jump back as they scampered up the machines. Just as the guards leapt for them, they jumped for the Chandeliers, using each one to swing to another Chandelier until they could reach the second story balcony of the Casino. Clambering over the rails they pushed past waiters and waitresses all the while grabbing Champagne glasses and downing them in one go.

"Excuse me." Snow said as she moved through second floor guests.

"Coming through!" Emma called as she too moved through second floor guests to catch up to her mother.

"Move!" Regina ordered as she dodged and pushed past the second floor guests in front of the other two women.

They came to a halt at a window and turned to find guards in a semi-circle closing in.

"Nowhere left to go ladies!" One guard called from the pack.

"Fuck! We're done for!" Emma declared.

Regina shook her head. "Not yet we're not." She moved towards some of the guards and ran full out towards the window before leaping and jumping until she heard the window crack and shatter as she fell towards the large and deep fountain below.

Emma and Snow looked to one another. Shrugged and followed suit. The guards clambered up to the window to look out below.

"So long suckers!"

The guards glanced around at one another before one piped up. "What the fuck just happened?"

_**Present**_

Snow shrugged. "Apparently I'm really good at a game called BlackJack."

**XXX**

Emma laughed and laughed harder as the feather tickled the base of her bare feet. "Okay, okay I lied. I'm ticklish." She laughed harder and harder until the man holding the feather pulled away with a sigh.

"I don't think she knows anything boss."

"Of course she does!" The man countered, "You will tell us." The man motioned with a clenched fist, shaking it in her face or the torture will continue.

Emma smirked. "Do your worst."

The men looked around at each other and nodded. It was time to bring in the big guns. Two men left the room and quickly returned carrying a large machine.

"What's that?" Emma asked hesitantly.

The men quickly pushed ear plugs into their ears before popping open the top of the machine, placing a small round disk inside before shutting the top and pressing a tiny button. Emma cringed and cried out in pain. "Oh no! Please, anything but that!" A few minutes into it and she screamed in pain. "God stop it! Stop it! Please! I beg off you!"

The men laughed. They couldn't hear the screams.

**XXX**

Regina and Snow exited the hotel entrance, out onto the streets of the Strip. It was beautiful even in the day time. It was gorgeous and mysterious at night, but in the day it was beautiful and still held an air of mystery and air of intrigue.

"So where do w-"

"Hey!"

Regina and Snow turned to find a Chinese man looking them over.

"Are you two, the Mills?" He asked the two women.

"Why?" Regina asked casually, standing at ready while Snow stood at her own ready beside Regina.

The man pulled out an envelope and handed it over to the two women. "I'd advise having it ready by four this afternoon if you want to see your friend unharmed."

Regina and Snow looked towards one another before looking back to where the man had been standing only a few minutes before. He had vanished. Almost like Regina could, in thin air. They blinked a few times before bending to pick the envelope up. Regina elegantly opened the letter and pulled the note out.

_Dear Mills_

_Have two hundred and fifty thousand US dollars ready for pick-up at the spot marked on the map found with this envelope. If your not there by four. We will continue with our unpleasant treatment of your blonde friend._

_Regards_

_Chinese Weapons Dealers_

_P.S. Otherwise known as Chang Wu_

"Really?" Regina asked in disbelief.

Snow nodded. "What idiot actually puts his name on ransom note?" She shook her head. "Worst kidnapper ever."

"No I meant, this guy used 'your' instead of 'you're'. Seriously. It's so obvious." Regina rolled her eyes at the grammatical error.

Snow gave her a blank look and blinked in disbelief. She finally snapped out of it and dragged Regina by her elbow, "Come on. We need to take this too the police station."

**XXX**

Emma cried out in pain. Willing the music to stop. "I can't take it anymore!" She yelled, "I'll tell you whatever you wish to know!" She yelled over the Justin Bieber music that echoed throughout the room. She just wanted it to stop, anymore and she was going to go insane. She couldn't hold any longer. "Make it stop!"

The boss of the group nodded to another man who dutifully turned the agonizing noise off.

Emma relaxed. "Oh thank you! Thank you!"

"Now. Who are you working for?"

"Step away from the prisoner!" An American voice sounded through the large room.

Emma tried to catch a glimpse over her shoulder at who was talking but couldn't. She prayed it was help. She needed help. Instead she watched as the men in front of her pulled weapons and raised them taking aim. She froze up and suddenly bullets went flying, she squeezed her eyes shut. One hit her and immediately she cringed waiting for death to take her. A few seconds passed. A few minutes. She finally opened her eyes and looked down at herself, at the stinging pain; she was covered in red...red paint? "What the fuck?" Emma looked around the room to see two very different sides involved in an all out paintball shootout.

Rocking herself. Emma tipped herself over onto the floor, connecting with a loud thud, not loud enough to raise suspicion but enough to hurt. She groaned as she rocked back and forth into an awkward thudding bouncy roll. "Waaaa!" She yelled as she felt herself fall and fall and fall and fall and fall and...she wasn't falling she was hovering on a large fan that kept her floating mid air. "What the hell?"

**XXX**

"Officer!" Snow yelled in panic as she threw herself into the LVPD Police Station. "I need help my daughter has been kidnapped!" She declared to the room full of officer's and a few men and women being arrested.

"Hey that's them!" One of the men cuffed in the metallic cuffs declared as he looked at them.

A woman nodded . "Yeah, those are the two of the three that took our bus and loaded strippers onto it and plowed through the streets singing Kelly Clarkson. We don't even know the damn singer!" The woman declared as she looked at the two women before her.

Snow and Regina looked at one another in confusion.

_**Previous Night**_

Emma and Snow followed Regina backs pressed to the side of the bus as they moved closer to the door of the large neon purple bus with neon pink lights underneath. Regina quickly scampered up and into the bus with Emma and Snow quickly following. She pressed the button that shut the door to the bus.

Emma hesitantly asked. "Do you even know how to drive a bus?"

"Miss Swan, I am perfectly capable of dr-" A loud crash sounded and all three women cringed at the cop car Regina had jumped rammed from behind. It's trunk and back indented nearly to the middle of the vehicle. "Maybe not." She whispered.

Emma turned to find the owners of the bus and police running towards them. "To late now!" Emma declared leaning over Regina, putting the bus into reverse and putting her foot over Regina's pressing down on the accelerator. They backed up and away from the cop car watching in the rear view mirror as Snow fell backwards on her ass and cop cars from behind the bus launched themselves out of the way. Donuts and coffee mugs flying through the air. Switching gears she jerked the bus forward and together Emma and Regina tore through the streets with Snow who every now and then tried to stand only to once again land on her ass.

They drove a few miles till they reached a bright pink neon lit bar. It had three women dressed as flamingoes on the sign above the bar, doing some sought of kick. Regina pulled over and in a rush flamingo strippers entered the bus with chuckles and giggles. They quickly helped Snow up and dragged the pixie haired woman to the back off the bus. Regina and Emma looked at one another, shrugged, shut the bus door once again and drove away.

At least thirty minutes later and Emma and Regina sat on the shoulders of the strippers below. Vodka bottles raised above their heads as they yelled Kelly Clarkson's 'My Life Would Suck Without You' at the top of their lungs. Snow sat at the driver's seat, driving the bus through the Strip, while crying hysterically, pouring her heart out to the group of sympathetic strippers that patted her on the back and nodded in understanding.

"You got a piece of me!" Emma yelled. "And honestly! My life would suck without you!"

"Said you'd never come back! But here you are again!" Regina yelled.

The song was completely out of order but neither cared as they linked arms at the elbow and drank their vodka.

Snow let out a rather loud sob as she yanked the wheel to the right. "And then he...he...he..."

"Let it out honey," one of the strippers nicknamed, Patty, patted her on the back.

"He told me he'd always find me!" She yelled, "But he was with another woman! Another woman! Now I know we were cursed and everything! But another woman!"

_**Present**_

The cops in the station turned to the women and one pointed with a curious expression on his face. "Wait a second. I know you. You two are, two of the three women that spray painted the Sphinx's nose."

Regina and Snow once again looked at each other. Turned to face the inside of the police station and all the faces now looking at them. "Time to go." Regina said quickly and in a high pitched voice before herself and Snow made a hasty exit, police and cuffed people after them.

**XXX**

Emma waited until she heard footsteps start after her and quickly she found the bag ripped off her head. She blinked as fluorescent light hit her eyes. She squeezed them shut in pain. God, could this get worse. A rather large man stepped up to her as another medium sized man dressed impeccably, almost enough to rival that off Regina...almost. No one could actually rival the woman; she was beautiful and sexy in her clothes. She exuded power in anything she wore. A small smile tipped the corner of Emma's lips at the thought of the brunette, she hoped her and her mother were okay and not mixed up in this craziness.

**XXX**

"I think we lost them." Snow said.

"We lost them a while ago, Snow." Regina retorted as they moved down the footpath of the Strip. "We need to find a bank. The police surely will arrest us instead of helping. Which means it's up to us and I would prefer to do this with minimum bloodshed."

Snow followed tightly along beside Regina. "Right but if it comes down to it, Regina, I won't blame you, and I don't think anyone would."

"Because it benefits you and them." Regina said coldly, hard as she glared at Snow pulling to a stop. She quickly steeled the expression, shook her head and started down the footpath again. They both didn't need this right now. Emma was missing.

Snow got the memo and kept her mouth shut until she noticed the large sign that read 'Bank' in big letters. "There!" She exclaimed jumping up and down on the spot as she pointed towards the sign and the building.

Regina looked at the big sign and rolled her eyes. "Congratulations, Snow, you found the only bank in Las Vegas with a big sign saying 'Bank'." She said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

Snow crossed her arms, pouted and said. "I found it."

Another roll of her eyes and Regina took hold of Snow's elbow and pulled her along. "Come on."

They entered the bank with a jingle as the bell above the door sounded as the door both opened and closed.

"Afternoon ladies, how can I-" he paused looked them over and started, "Wait I know you two. You were two off three that came in here and convinced my daughter to run off and marry that...that...that woman." He spat in disgust. "What the hell do you think you are doing here?"

Regina looked around the small what seemed to be family owned bank and quickly spoke up in her 'all business' tone as Emma would refer to it. She prayed that the blonde was okay and nothing serious had happened to her. "I need money and I need it immediately."

"I'm not giving you one cent!" He shouted. "You can get the hell out of here and never come back! Go! Before I call the cops!"

"What will it take to get you to give us money?" Snow quickly asked before Regina could give the man a piece of her mind and go in search of another bank. They really didn't have time. Actually less than four hours.

The man paused and thought for a second before looking back at them. "My daughter's wedding. The wedding you two and the blonde convinced her was a good idea is happening this morning. If you can convince her not to marry that woman, I may be inclined to give you as much money as you want."

"Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars?" Regina asked.

The man stared at them wide eyed but nodded nonetheless.

Regina sighed. "Very well. We have a deal." She felt like Rumple or like she was accepting one of his deals, she cringed at the thought. "Where is this Chapel?"

**XXX**

"Do you know why you are here?" The medium built man asked with an Italian accent.

Emma shook her head. Preferring to remain silent. As long as there was no Bieber she could manage.

"You, your girlfriend and your friend cost me five hundred thousand American dollars." He told her. "I don't know how you did it but I know you cheated me, I don't like being cheated."

_**Previous Night**_

"Come on!" Snow yelled as she struggled to hold the woman on top of her up. Regina was down on her hands and knees besides her focusing her attention on keeping the women upright and none of them toppling over.

"Tada!" Emma called as she stood on top of the pyramid that the group of women had made. She did a little dance on top of pyramid as some of the crowd groaned and yelled throwing down their betting slips. Most yelled and cheered as the women slowly climbed back down. "Underground, cheerleading, who knew such a thing, existed?"

Snow nodded, "Who knew it would be so much fun?"

Regina dusted of her pant legs. "Next time I'm on top."

Emma wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "You can be on top anytime you like."

Regina looked at her in disbelief. "Really? Really, Emma?" She pointed over to Snow, "With your mother standing right here?"

Emma turned to her mother and quickly told her with a mischievous twinkle in hers eyes and smirk on her face. "Mom, block your ears."

_**Present**_

"What are you going to do to me?" Emma asked looking around the room at the big guys.

He snapped his fingers and the men exited the room. "Be prepared to experience the most horrible pain ever."

"Nothing's worse than Bieber." She declared outright.

The man leant in closer as the two men returned with a TV. "This will be excruciating. You will beg me for Bieber but I will not relent until you tell me where my money is and how you did it."

**XXX**

Regina and Snow entered the room. It was a small apartment like building that housed numerous businesses, including the all night wedding Chapel that they were now currently standing.

"Hey! Look who it is!" One of the men dressed up in what Regina could tell was a rental suit, made his way over to them as he pointed for the other workers to take notice.

"What did we do now?" Snow sighed.

The man looked around for a few seconds before his brow furrowed. "Where's objection girl!"

Regina and Snow shared a look before turning back to the man. "Who?"

"Uh," he clenched his fist in thought before shaking his head and turning to one of the other suit dressed men. "Hey, Carl, what did objection girl look like again?"

The man named Carl looked over at them and answered. "She was blonde, her eyes changed from blue to green stood a little taller than," he waved at Regina, "the woman she was in love with." He shook his head, "I feel sorry for that lass."

Regina and Snow tensed and this time they refused to share a look as Snow question. "What exactly was she objecting too?"

The man laughed. "You two getting married of course." He continued laughing before noticing that they weren't he stopped, sighed and turned to the men again. "We got another couple who drunkenly married."

Regina stepped up to him before motioning between her and Snow. "We're married."

He shrugged and nodded. "Yep. Well sought of she signed with Snow White, not actually a legal name and-"

"Hey Gina! MM!"

Regina and Snow turned their attention to the interruption and the man took this as his sign to vanish. He did so in thin air much like the man who had delivered the letter. Regina turned back to him, "Where'd he go?"

"It's Vegas," the girl spoke. "Magicians are everywhere here." She smiled brightly, "I'm glad you're here. I want to thank you for convincing me that 'true love' is something we should grab while we can. I can't imagine marrying anyone else." She looked over lovingly at the woman she was set to marry. "I love her more than anything."

Regina opened her mouth to speak but Snow quickly slapped a hand over it, a death glare was shot her way at the motion and Snow believed she wouldn't live to see her plane flight the next night. Still she smiled at the young girl. "We just wanted to wish you luck. Everyone deserves a happy ending."

Regina's temper grew. Oh how she wished she had have dropped Snow right at this moment. "No w-" Regina tried but a second hand was clamped over her mouth. She was going to murder this woman and bury her body in the Nevada desert, somewhere near Area 51.

The girl beamed brightly before looking up at Regina. "It was really you and Emma, Gina. You two helped us realize the love we have for one another." She smiled lightly, "I'm so glad that she chucked a fit last night and stopped you two from marrying each other."

Regina tore Snow's hands away from her mouth and inquired, "You mean..." she waved a finger between her and Snow "...aren't married?"

The girl shook her head. "Nope like Jim said you signed with Snow White, got close but it didn't pass. Also, Emma kinda went mad and burnt the page to the ground before lifting Regina over her shoulders and carrying her out all the while screaming at you." She pointed at Snow.

Regina and Snow released a sigh of relief. That was good news, but it still didn't solve their kidnapped Emma.

"Also, guys, we really don't need five hundred thousand dollars." The girl shook her head. "It's too much of a present. We want you to have it back."

Regina and Snow shared a look and simultaneously mouthed to one another 'five hundred thousand'. Turning back to look at the girl Regina quickly asked before Snow could shut her up again. "Five hundred thousand?"

The girl nodded. "In cash as well."

Regina smiled. "Well I suppose we could take half of it, you still deserve a marriage gift. From us to you."

The girl nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, sure thing." She waved them over to the woman she was marrying and quickly pulled out a bag from underneath the seat. Regina and Snow grinned happily. They were close to finding Emma.

**XXX**

"You know this ain't so bad." Emma said as she ate the handful of popcorn one of the men held out in his hand. Her own were useless and tied behind her back, so she ate from his.

The big man cried softly beside her, while the boss whimpered silently behind her. They were currently watching Bambi; it was at 'THE' scene...that sad scene that tore at heart strings. Emma looked around her. "Wusses." She huffed and shook her head, returning to the movie, another handful of popcorn being shoved up to her face as the man cried quietly to himself.

**XXX**

Regina pulled to a stop at the designated spot on the map. Two black SUV's already sat quietly in the desert sand of Nevada. She stepped out first, sunglasses covering her eyes. Snow stepped out afterwards, her own sunglasses covering her eyes. They did the badass walk over to the middle of the circle the three vehicles formed.

Four men jumped out of their vehicle, one of them popped open the back seat of one of the SUV's and pulled out a bag covered figure. Regina cracked her neck and Snow cracked her knuckles as the seven of them stood now facing each other.

"You got the money?" The man that had delivered the envelope asked.

Regina nodded and threw the duffel bag down at his feet. "Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Cash." She told the man in her Mayoral tone. "Now give us Emma."

The man nodded and another pushed the bag covered figure towards them. Snow caught them and quickly the men grabbed the duffel and jumped in their vehicles, revving them up and by the time Snow had pulled off the bag from the figures head, they were nearly out of sight.

**XXX**

"FREEZE BAMBI WANNABES!"

Emma jumped as did the other men. She hopped into a circle until she was facing the rather rude interaction. "Who the hell are you? You're interrupting the movie. Shut the fuck up!" She shook her head and it was just getting to the good part.

"You Emma Swan?"

Emma shrugged. "I'm thinking about changing it."

"Grab her!" The same man ordered and in rappelled black, balaclava dressed figures. They took hold of her and vanished in a cloud of smoke.

The men in the room looked around and once the smoke started to settle they noticed that the blonde was missing along with the attackers. "Fucking Vegas, magicians."

**XXX**

"Who the hell are you?!" Snow asked wide eyed at the man before her. "You're definitely not my daughter."

"Ya think." Regina retorted with a role of her eyes as she removed the gag. "Now who are you?"

"My name is Khan Glukhovsky," he told her.

Regina let out a frustrated scream, turned away and turned back to them man. "Run." She said deathly cold and emotionless.

"What?" He asked in his Russian accent.

"Run." She repeated.

He didn't question her again at the cold eyes that were staring back at him. His feet threw him into a fitful run. He ran for his life, dirt kicking up behind him, he felt and more than likely looked like one of those American cartoons where the legs were moving but they weren't getting anywhere fast enough.

Regina kicked the tire of her car and let out another frustrated scream.

"We'll find her." Snow said gently.

Regina turned those cold eyes onto Snow. "This is your entire fault."

Snow jerked backwards in shock. "Mine. How's it mine?"

Regina threw her hands into the air. "I don't know but somehow, someway it is, it's always your fault when something in my life goes good! You come along and screw it straight up!"

"Yeah, well, that streak goes both ways!" Snow yelled right back.

"Oh!" She let out a manic laugh, "You want to get into this now?!"

"Why not?!" Snow retorted, "Now's the best time!"

"Fine." Regina huffed, "You screwed me over! More than once! You've done horrendous things and yet I'm classified as the Evil one!"

"You killed people!"

"You use people, to kill other people!"

"You know as well as I do she deserved it!"

"What about Daniel?! Did he?!"

Snow's demeanor and tension quickly left her body. She looked down at the boots of her feet. "No." She whispered. "What happened to us Regina? We used to be close. I idolized you."

"And I trusted you!" Regina breathed heavily, heaving for the air burning her lungs. Rubbing a hand over her face, she kicked her Hummer's tire. She really should invest in a portable punching bag...or just use Snow. She shook her head. "Why?" She asked softly.

Snow looked up. "Excuse me?"

Regina's back hit the Hummer and she slid down the vehicle to the ground. "Why'd you do it? I trusted you and you betrayed me. Why?"

"Your mother she...she was rather convincing. I believed she wanted what you wanted and I didn't want you to lose your mother like I did. Back then I didn't know what Cora did, what she was up too, I just...I...I just thought that I was doing the right thing." Snow stepped over to Regina but made sure there was enough distance between them that if she needed to run she'd have a good chance...well if Regina didn't use magic.

Regina looked at her shoes, tears slowly falling from her eyes. "I trusted you. Now he's gone. I've lost my happy ending." She looked at her hands, the very hands that had taken so many lives in her blind quest for vengeance. "Look at me. I've lost everything and here I am crying in front of the one who took it all from me." She shook her head and huffed at the irony of the situation. "You've finally won." She looked up at Snow, "You win. You beat the Evil Queen. Cracked her beyond repair."

Snow frowned and finally braved closer, she pressed her back against the Hummer and slid down beside the brunette. Reaching over she gently took Regina's hand in hers giving it a small squeeze. "I can never go back in time and change what I've done and truthfully I don't want to."

Regina looked over to Snow, anger in her eyes. If this was her attempt at a speech, it was a pretty pathetic one.

Snow shook her head and grasped Regina's hand tighter with both of her own this time. She wasn't going to let Regina pull away and bottle up all that anger once again, only to have a dormant volcano waiting to erupt whenever she returned to Storybrooke. "A lot of good things came out of this. Henry," she watched as the corners of Regina's lips twitched in a small smile at the mention of the shared son. She gave a small smile of her own. "Emma."

Regina's attention snapped up to Snow.

"Let's face it. If I had never have said anything, you would never have met Emma and I know that deep down inside as much as she annoys the hell out of you. You care about her." She smiled a little more, "Maybe even a little more."

Regina looked away. She didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. She felt so small in front of her mortal enemy. Someone she fought ever so long with. She was tired. Exhausted really. It had taken so much out of her. Out of both of them.

"I saw you two on the Ferris Wheel at the Carnival the other day." Again her smile widened, "Emma looked so...content. I haven't been around her long but whenever I saw her she looked somewhat hollow, as if she had to push to stay here on this Earth every day, but I never wanted to believe before but every time she sees you or your see her. Yes, even the times you both are being bitches or assholes, you both have this flame ignited within you that lights a fuse and you both crackle around each other until the explosion happens. You are dangerous together but together you had feelings, good or bad feelings. You still had them and it was the only time I saw her look full and not having to try. On that Ferris Wheel she was happy and she might not know it but, she loves you."

Regina scoffed. "I'm the Evil Queen, dear, in case you've forgotten."

Snow shook her head. "That day on the Ferris Wheel, I didn't see Regina. I saw the very girl whose happy ending I took away from her. I saw the Regina from before she allowed the manipulations and games to be played. I saw the real you and Emma, Emma sees that deep down inside of you, no matter where you are or however you're acting."

Regina squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to listen anymore. She just wanted the pain to fade. To vanish. She was so very tired. So very exhausted.

Snow gripped the hands tighter. "As I said I can't change the past and I won't. I'll never be able to take back what I've done but. I'll be able to make it up to you. But I would like to start again. So what do you say?"

Regina looked towards Snow. So very tired. So very exhausted. She nodded, it was time to start again, the past was the past and nothing was to be gained from continuous fighting.

Snow released Regina's grip and extended her hand. "I'm Snow White."

Regina let out a small chuckle amidst the sniffles as she took Snow's hand and shook it. "Regina...Regina Mills."

With that being said Snow brought Regina to her shoulder and the brunette did something she would never have expected from her. Never would have imagined. Never in her wildest dreams and thoughts would she have imagined would be happening. But when she did it, Snow didn't release, didn't let go, just clung tighter to the woman letting her own tears stream down her face.

There in the middle of the heated desert of Nevada. A war so very old had been stopped and Regina Mills cried.

**XXX**

Emma groaned as the bag was lifted of her head. She was really getting tired of getting thrown from one group to another. Seriously, how many groups could you possibly piss off in one night? Emma sighed and upright asked the question. "So what did I do this time?"

"You found my crop did you not?" A grey haired man with a thick Russian accent asked.

Emma sighed. _First Chinese, then Italians, now Russians...what's next? The United Nations?_ "Crop?"

"Yes, my crop on the outskirts of Vegas."

Emma strained her mind back to think of the night before. She nodded. "Oh the Jelly bean crop!"

The Russian man turned to one of his henchmen who shrugged but offered a suggestion in Russian. She didn't understand and frankly she couldn't care less.

The Russian she suspected was the boss nodded. "Yes, my Jelly bean crop as you put it."

**XXX**

"Think if I opened my door I'd hit him?" Regina asked over at Snow who gave her a look that told her 'be nice'.

"He might know something."

With a sigh, Regina pulled over and jumped out of the car. The man stared wide eyed at them before taking of sprinting. "Hey! Get back here!" She yelled and quickly tore after him. "Stop running!"

"Crazy woman, stay 'way from me." He ran as fast as his legs would take him.

"Shut up and stop!" She yelled before lunging and spear tackling the man to the ground. She rolled away from him and picked him up by the scruff of his collar. Snow had finally made it over and Regina released the man.

"Khan right?" Snow asked gently of the man whose eyes were filled with fear.

The man nodded. Keeping his eyes on the brunette.

"Do you know a blonde woman?" Snow asked pleadingly.

He nodded. "Saw her but didn't speak to her. The Italians grabbed her before hand and I heard the men who had me talking on the phone. The Russians have her now."

"Russians?" Regina widened her eyes in a hope of tension release.

The man nodded. "Yes, Russians. They have a small Warehouse. They probably took her there."

"Where is it?" Regina inquired.

"I can take you there."

Regina nodded. "Now."

**XXX**

The Russian man pulled out his gun and shot her once. The paintball didn't break open and it stung. It really hurt especially at such a close range. She could feel the welt starting to form and knew it was forming over a previous one that she had gotten from their Paintball escape a few days ago. Yeah, she really was over paintball.

"Dude, they're just Jelly beans!" She exclaimed.

"Just Jelly beans?" He gave her a curious look.

"Yes, red, purple, green, white, black, you know Jelly friggin' beans. Those sugary treats. Now I'm not exactly how you plan on growing Jelly beans but I'd hate to be the one to tell...no really, but Jelly beans don't grow on plants." Emma said with a slight wince of pain.

The Russian turned to his henchmen in surprise. Turning back to Emma he asked, "You mean real Jelly beans?"

Emma nodded. "What the hell did you think I meant?

"Well you were in trouble with the Italian underground cheerleading mob and there was the Chinese Paint Dealers." He shrugged, "So we thought."

**XXX**

"There!" He pointed, "Now may I go?"

Regina nodded cut his bonds and ordered, "Now get out!"

He nodded jumped out and preceded to run.

"Never going to lose that are you?" Snow asked.

Regina shrugged innocently. "Some things you just adopt for life."

Snow chuckled and together they exited the Hummer. They made their way along the dirt path up to the Warehouse in the far distance. As they got closer Snow asked, "What now?" There were men, lots of men surrounding the Warehouse all armed.

Regina took a deep breath and proceeded. "Guns blazing." With that they shared a nod. Screamed a battle cry and charged.

They sped through the halls dodging incoming bullets as they ran corner for corner and Regina wished she had have kept up with her morning runs she had started for the first year in Storybrooke. It would have come in handy. Snow on the other hand, had had more than her fair share of running and this was nothing new to her.

**XXX**

"Wait!" Emma declared screwing up her face in confusion. "They were illegally shipping and dealing in Paintball supplies? For an illegal paintball tournament." She said slowly making sure she was getting all of it correct. She shook her head at the nods, "How does that even make sense?"

Regina barged through the door, Snow behind her and a group of men hot on their tails. Shutting the door behind them they grabbed the nearest filing cabinet pushed it over and used it to block the door. In deep breaths they turned to face the new threat. There Emma sat tied to a chair. Regina and Snow ran their eyes over the occupants and a plan almost immediately hit Regina as the man clung to the gun in his hand. Emma took note that they didn't have any idea it was just a paintball gun.

"I challenge you to a duel!" Regina dared as she held her chin up.

"What are you doing?" Snow asked wide eyed.

"Be ready." Regina whispered out of the corner of her mouth to Snow.

"You challenge me?" The man asked.

"Yes." Regina said with force. "If I win me and my friends walk away unscathed, if I lose do what you will with them."

"Regina." Snow hissed.

"Trust me," Regina whispered back at the woman. Looking her in the eye. Trust was a very fragile thing. A very fragile first step.

Snow watched the eyes flicker with a promise. Whatever Regina was up to the woman was sure it would work and Snow had no proof that it wouldn't. Where the Evil Queen would use force and magic to get what she wanted, Regina had been stuck in a world that didn't have magic and had only recently gotten it back but while she hadn't had it she had, had to rely on planning, plotting, ingenuity and her intelligence. She was a woman who was not to be messed with when she had a plan mapped out in her head. Also, Snow owed her this much. She nodded subtly but Regina saw it.

Turning back to the Russian man she looked him dead in the eye. "Are the terms accepted?"

The Russian man looked around at his own men and shrugged before looking back at the beautiful brunette. "Sure."

They faced off close together. Emma was at the far end that Regina would walk too and Snow stood close beside, paint guns raised at the two of them. Only Regina and Snow didn't know that. God, Emma wished she could tell them. Did she mention? She was so over paintball. Paint period actually.

With a nod they turned and started their stride. Regina closed in on Emma and Snow and when she reached them, she turned as they prepared to fire. Like an all out Wild West Showdown. "Now!" She screamed, dropped the gun and took hold of Emma and Snow and quickly poofed them out of the room.

The men stood their wide eyed at the spot the women had been at only seconds ago. "Vegas, magicians." The Russian man whispered in disbelief with a small sigh as he shook his head.

**XXX**

Regina, Snow and Emma had arrived back at the hotel after an all out day of looking for Emma and an hour and a half long drive back from the Warehouse. Regina rolled her neck releasing tension built up in quantities. Snow cracked her knuckles and Emma chatted wildly about her day and how she had a run in with Illegal Chinese Paintball Dealers, Italian Underground Cheerleading Mob and Russian Jelly Bean Crop Growers.

Finally after a few minutes of the three of them stepping into their Penthouse Suite, Emma turned to Regina and her mother and noticed. "What are you two wearing?" Emma asked in shock at the sight before her.

Regina and Snow only then took in their attire.

Regina was dressed in bright pink and purple poker dot pants, one sock on and one sock of, one red shoe, one blue shoe, a bright yellow shirt and a rainbow colored vest. Snow didn't look any better than she did but instead she was dressed in a bright blue shirt, red and green pants that had lights that lit up every time she moved, her shoes were pink and squeaked with every movement and she wasn't wearing any socks.

"You don't look any better." Snow retorted to her daughter as both her and Regina folded their arms looking very much alike.

Emma looked down at herself, never having taken in her attire during the commotion. She was wearing SpongeBob boxer shorts and a Dora the Explorer T-shirt. Her one shoe that was tied to her right foot lit up. She looked up at the other two women giving her the 'speak for yourself' look. Once again they resembled one another. She smiled lightly, they could have been sisters.

Finally Regina unfolded her arms and quietly spoke. "We will never speak of this again. Ever." No one said anything, a silent agreement. That their crazy night in Vegas would...as the saying went; what happens in Vegas. Stays in Vegas.

**XXX**

The next day they spent the day taking photos around Vegas, Regina marked her Bucket List journal and showed Snow some of the contents; they did everything to avoid anybody they may have screwed over. Which apparently appeared to be the majority of Vegas. But as night came, Regina drove them to the airport where they now stood just before the actual terminal.

"Goodbye Snow." Regina said with a small smile, "Be careful." She added.

Snow took a step forward towards Regina. "Come back Regina. Once you're done if you must but...just come back."

Regina looked around Snow towards Emma who stood hands in pockets rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. "I'm sure Emma will return once she gets sick of me."

Snow scoffed, "Emma can be pretty stubborn when she wants to be."

"Really? Now that's a surprise." Regina added sarcastically but she knew the under meaning, the message between the words.

Snow chuckled briefly. With a shrug, "Well let's just say Storybrooke is pretty dull and boring without you around."

Regina gave a small genuine smile. "Look after Henry for me."

Emma watched as Snow pulled Regina to her and hugged her. What surprised her more than that was the fact that Regina enveloped her mother in her own hug. It lasted a few minutes before they pulled away, shared another smile and Regina nodded to the woman and moved away to allow Snow and Emma to have a moment.

"It's been a ball." Snow said as she stepped up to her daughter, "I don't think your Dad is going to believe even half of it."

Emma laughed. Yes, she didn't think he would either. "We'll send you the photos."

"Thanks. I think I need to make a scrapbook for our adventures."

Emma nodded and quickly looked down at her feet. This was awkward for her. She never really got attached to people she couldn't leave behind without a word but this wasn't just anyone, this was Mary-Margaret, Snow White, her Mom.

"Be gentle with her."

Emma looked up from her shoes to her mother.

"Bring back the real Regina from me. I know she's still in there; she just needs a little push from somebody as stubborn as her. Somebody who cares about her." Snow told her in a small voice barely above a whisper.

Emma gave a quick look over to Regina who had vanished over to the coffee booth and was picking out two different takeaway coffee cups. Turning back to her mother she asked in a small voice of her own. "You think it's possible to feel something twice in one life?"

Snow shrugged, "I don't know, but it's worth a try. Imagine if, you later on in life found out it was possible and you skipped this chance. You'll hate yourself. Don't live out your life in fear." She shook her head, "Don't make mistakes. Don't not talk about things. All it does is ruin your life." She hugged her daughter.

Emma clung to her like her life depended on her. For the first time she really felt like she was Mary-Margaret's-Snow White's daughter and she didn't feel odd at all.

"Take care of her." Snow pulled back, "And remember your father and I and Henry, love you so very much and we miss you."

Emma nodded and sniffed wiping the tears at her eyes. "Right back at you, tell Henry I'll be home as soon as possible." Looking over at Regina she watched as the woman strode back over to them two coffee cups in hand. She paused a small distance away, "I won't be alone."

The three said their goodbyes once again and waited until Snow passed through the gates and was out of sight before Regina handed Emma her coffee cup and they made their way out of the airport.

Out of curiosity Emma asked. "So what happened last night?" Emma hoped Regina knew as she and Regina made their way towards the Hummer. "I hardly remember a thing."

"Well apparently we ripped off and destroyed a Casino. We rammed a police car. Stole a neon purple and pink bus. Had strippers on board and drove through the town disastrously. We got in trouble with the law." Regina finished, that was all she could remember, she was sure there was more but she couldn't remember it. Pausing she held up her hand as she stepped up beside the Hummer, drivers side. Emma rounded to the passenger's side as Regina brought up...casually. "Oh, I also almost married your mother."

Emma jerked her head upwards. "What?"

Regina waved her hand dismissively. "Don't fret it didn't pass through. So nothing to fear, you and I are not related."

"Really?" Emma asked.

Regina thought for a moment before shrugging. "Apparently your mother signed with Snow White and you burnt the page." She said casually, "I'm sought of glad you did. Imagine being married to her and always having to say 'I will always find you'." Regina shuddered at the thought.

"So..." she waved a finger between the two of them "...not related?"

Regina shook her head.

Emma let out a sigh of relief and thanked whatever god was listening before she slipped into the Hummer with Regina. All was good. Just the two of them. All was as it should be.

**And there you have it. That's what you get when I have a massive migraine that refuses to vanish, am pre-occupied with thoughts of tonight's episode, have some papers I have to go over, am helping a million different people with their fanfictions (but I do enjoy doing so) and am becoming addicted to Tumblr. Also, I have gotten about four hours sleep in two days. I may bring Snow back in a future chapter; she's fun to write with. Hope it was good for you. Good news though...next chapter be prepared for the return of the Powell's. Will they get their revenge on Emma and Regina or will Emma and Regina come out on top once again? Who will crush who in the next chapter? Well you'll just have to wait and see.**


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